"I'm sure we'll have another good match" - Anisimova on facing Bencic in Rome

Amanda Anisimova was among the group of Americans who progressed to the second round at the Internazionali BNL D'Italia Rome on Tuesday, securing a match-up with 12th seed Belinda Bencic in the process.

Anisimova overcame Czech qualifier Tereza Martincova 6-2 0-6 6-4 in two hours and 8 minutes, continuing her strong run of form that saw her reach the quarterfinals in Madrid last week.

Awaiting the World No.32 is Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Bencic, who breezed past Italian qualifier Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the opening round.

"After the match I saw [Bencic] and I was talking to her and I was like, 'Good luck tomorrow!'," Anisimova said. "Then I realized that I'm playing her. I played her in Australia and she's a really good player. I'm sure we'll have another good match. We always play very well against each other so I'm looking forward to it."

Anisimova has a game tailored for clay, as the 20-year old reached the French Open semifinals in 2019. Additionally, she made a semifinal appearance in Charleston earlier this year, before falling in the quarterfinals of last week's Madrid Open.