Julieta Pareja and Lucrezia Stefanini meet in the first round of WTA Barranquilla on 7 September, 23:30 UTC. Their US Open qualifying match is barely cold: Stefanini won 6-4, 6-3, and Pareja now gets a quick second chance in a city with strong family and junior ties.
Pareja swings big, Stefanini keeps the court tidy
Pareja’s hard-court summer has carried real spark. She won the W50 Columbus title and beat Iryna Shymanovich 6-4, 6-2 in New York, but her attack frayed against Stefanini: 33 unforced errors turned promising positions into another lesson in closing.
Stefanini followed that victory by beating Dayana Yastremska 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, showing the reset skills that have sharpened her recent run. She takes the ball early with compact, two-handed strokes on both sides, and hard court gives that timing room to breathe; the later loss to Jasmine Paolini was a limit check, not a reason to discard the form.
The rematch rewards the steadier hands
Pareja must create width before pulling the trigger because central pace sits nicely in Stefanini’s strike zone. A friendly crowd can lift the teenager, but revenge matches have a habit of arriving with extra luggage, and patience has not always travelled lightly with her.
Stefanini carries the heavier recent workload, yet she also owns the cleaner tactical memory. Her return discipline, ability to redirect pace and composure in tight service games make her the stronger choice in what should remain a competitive rematch.
Prediction: Lucrezia Stefanini to win, odds 1.79
