Victoria Mboko awaits Grant after Rome breakthrough
Tyra Caterina Grant beat Lisa Pigato 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 in 2 hours and 2 minutes at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, and now victoria mboko is next in Rome. The 18-year-old Italian has her first career win at her home tournament and moves into a second-round matchup with the No. 10 seed.
Grant reaches Mboko in Rome
Grant and Mboko have never met before. That gives the Rome second round a clean, direct test for a player who only recently turned a first-round exit into a victory at the same event.
Last year in her Rome debut, Grant lost 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to Antonia Ruzic after holding two match points. This week she finished the job against Pigato, and the result sends her into the round where her ranking, form, and home support all collide with a seeded opponent.
Injuries slowed Grant earlier
The run comes after a shoulder injury kept her out of her scheduled Grand Slam qualifying debut at the Australian Open. Grant said, “That was really sad,” and added, “But I think that gave me more weeks to prepare and to work on my physical in the gym -- and I think that helped me a lot in these matches, especially on the clay swing. It was sad in the moment, but I think in the long run, it was the best thing that happened.”
That extra time has already shown up on the scoreboard. Two weeks before Rome, she qualified for Madrid and beat Elsa Jacquemot 6-1, 6-2 for her first career main-draw win. She was ranked No. 234 at the time of this article, after reaching a career high of No. 206 last November.
Italy now leans on Grant
Grant was born in Rome to an American father and an Italian mother, grew up near Milan, and represented the United States as a junior before choosing Italy 12 months ago. She called that split court of interest a compliment, saying, “I take it as a compliment,” and later helped Italy’s winning Billie Jean King Cup team last September.
Angelo Binaghi has already set the tone around her rise: “We’re banking heavily on her, but we’re not rushing,” he said, adding, “Tyra represents the cornerstone on which we can build the Italy of the future.” For Grant, the immediate task is simpler than the long view — she gets Mboko next, and this time Rome has a second-round match with a real marker on it.
