Rakotomanga Rajaonah – Snigur

While the world elite sleeps out both jet lag and champagne intoxication, everyday life continues for the rest. And already the day after the last shot on the ball in Melbourne, the girls were busy in the Czech Republic, the UAE and here; in Romania. More specifically WTA Cluj-Napoca , where Rakotomanga Rajaonah meets Snigur in the 1st round of the Transylvania Open.

The tournament is played on hard courts, indoors, so for the girls coming directly from the Australia Open , this will not be a big transition.

Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah

Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah, or “Titi” as she is known, has long been on the radar of tennis writers around the world. The young girl, who was born in Madagascar but plays for France, has just turned 20, and although many first caught her eye at this year’s Australian Open, she really became a star in Brazil last year.

The left-handed great talent took home her first WTA title in Sao Paulo last September, and did so by losing only one set. And that was even in the opening round. On the way to the title, she defeated Udvardy, Zarazua and Tjen. The latter was ranked No. 47 in the world, and who took out Fernandez himself at this year's Australian Open.

The victory in Sao Paulo came on the same court as the Australian Open, and for those of us who watched her match against Sabalenka, there are good reasons to believe that "Titi" can take further steps in 2026. She held the world's best tennis player to 6-4 in the opening set, and she played fearless tennis where she showed nice variation combined with her enormous physical strength.

For one thing, how she covers the court is a thing, but she is also known for keeping a cool head in crucial moments, as well as high aggression from the baseline. She is also good at varying her serve, and she even took Sabalenka to bed with her drop shots. And let's not forget that she is a "leftie". It is always challenging for players to face left-handed opponents. You have to adjust, as the attacks often come from new angles, and your own strengths are no longer equal to your opponent's weaknesses. So here it may take a while for Snigur to figure things out, and by then it may be too late.

Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah is here to stay, but can she advance in the Transylvania Open, against all odds?

Daria Snigur

For many of us, it was during the 2022 US Open that Snigur was really brought to our attention. Knocking out Sofia Kenin in the first round was a shock. The Russian, who represents the United States, had two Grand Slams under her belt, and the loss to Snigur sent shockwaves through the WTA circus. But unfortunately, Snigur was unable to follow up on that good performance, and today has never been higher than No. 105 in the world.

But no one should say that she doesn't play well during the day, and even though she didn't make it through the Australian Open qualifiers, she has played well in the qualifiers here in Cluj-Napoca. And it's always an advantage to have played your way in before the first round starts.

But "Tit" has probably settled into training, and she knows what to expect. The girls have never played against each other before, but Snigur is known for her high tennis IQ, as well as her flat shots. Her ability to take the ball high and hit with virtually no spin is challenging, and her unconventional playing style puts many players to shame.

But do the odds match the balance of power?

Unnaturally high odds must be exploited

At the time of writing, Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah is ranked No. 116 in the world, while Daria Snigur is No. 144 in the world. Still, we see odds all the way up to 4 on the French girl. Artificially high?

A Snigur in form can ruin the rhythm for most people, but "Titi" should have both the head and the legs to stand up to it. At least enough for her to get our game off the ground. And we know that aggressive players often make mistakes when they face players who are good at defending. And here "Titi" can quickly pick up more balls than Snigur is used to.

But then the eternal question arises; do we believe in "Titi" so much that we should play a handicap game? Or is it limited to the fact that "Titi" will put up more resistance than expected, but still have to give up in the end? We don't dare to trust our gut too much, and therefore land on the latter;

Tennis at 09:00: Rakotomanga Rajaonah – Snigur: Over 18.5 games (1.62)

Alternative game:

Tennis at 09:00: Rakotomanga Rajaonah – Snigur: Rakotomanga Rajaonah +5.5 games (1.76)

Tennis at 09:00: Rakotomanga Rajaonah – Snigur: Rakotomanga Rajaonah +4.5 games (2.15)