The grass season gets properly underway this week with a smattering of events taking place across Europe. In the UK, Nottingham hosts the first full WTA event of the summer after a smaller ITF tournament in Surbiton last week.
With home favourite Johanna Konta headlining the show and a trio of Brits in the supporting cast there is plenty of British interest in WTA Aegon Open Nottingham. A rocky draw means it will not be an easy ride for any of them though.
First Quarter – [1] Johanna Konta and [7] Mona Barthel
A treat for British fans but a clash neither player will enjoy sees Johanna Konta drawn against British wildcard Tara Moore. Moore played superbly in reaching the quarter-finals here last year as a qualifier but has been in rotten form of late and should not trouble Konta too much even though Konta is still trying to figure the surface out.
Seventh seed Barthel has always struggled on grass and will be in for quite a test against Jana Fett who upset top seed in qualifying Sasha Vickery. Should she progress she may find herself facing dangerous floater Ashleigh Barty. The Australian began her return to the WTA Tour at this very venue last year and has improved significantly over the last twelve months.
Prediction: Johanna Konta vs Ashleigh Barty – Barty in 3
Konta is the top seed and has been having an impressive year. She will be looking for a good result here as she has a surprisingly poor record on grass. Barty was wonderful here last year, edged out by eventual champion Karolina Pliskova, and may surprise Konta with her grass court prowess.
Second Quarter – [4] Alison Riske and [8] Naomi Osaka
Much like the top quarter, this features another popcorn match for British fans as Heather Watson faces fourth seed Alison Riske. Riske, runner-up at the WTA Aegon Open Nottingham last year, is a super player on grass but Watson comes into the tournament in decent form after a runner-up spot last year week in Surbiton.
Naomi Osaka opens against a American qualifier Kristie Ahn while Surbiton champion Magdalena Rybarikova, on the comeback from injury, opens against the dangerous Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska. Perhaps the form match of the section is between Oceane Dodin and Magda Linette, who both arrive in Nottingham following an impressive clay court season. Dodin in particular has been superb recently and the 20 year old could be a dark horse.
Quarter-Final Prediction: Alison Riske vs Naomi Osaka – Riske in 2
Both are powerful baseliners with games perfectly suited to grass. The difference here is that Riske has the experience, especially on these particular courts.
Third Quarter – [5] Lucie Safarova and [3] Lauren Davis
A quarter with plenty of experience this may be the one to spring a surprise. Safarova, fresh from her Ladies Doubles title at the French Open with Bethanie Mattek-Sands, opens against Grace Min and will face either Su-Wei Hsieh or Kristina Kucova should she progress.
American third seed Lauren Davis – who has done superbly to quietly sneak up the rankings – faces a testing opener against Kurumi Nara. Nara has struggled on grass in the past while Davis’ stature means she has a distinct advantage on grass with the low ball flight.
The real danger in this section is grass court assassin Tsvetana Pironkova. Her pedigree on the surface is well-known and Czech qualifier, Tereza Martincova, who she faces in the first round knows she has an incredibly tough task. The Bulgarian’s form leaves plenty to be desired but if she is to turn it around somewhere it’ll be on this surface.
Prediction: Safarova vs Pironkova – Safarova in 3
A mighty clash between two players who have plenty of years on the WTA circuit, this one could be excellent. Both have suffered from injuries in the past but tend to flourish on grass. Safarova’s tricky left-handed style could prove the pivotal factor.
Fourth Quarter – [6] Shelby Rogers and [2] Anastasija Sevastova
It feels like the most open section of the draw with no qualifiers and some interesting match-ups. Second seed Sevastova has a relatively comfortable first round opponent in Christina McHale while Shelby Rogers should also progress against Donna Vekic.
There are plenty of question marks about who will emerge from the other two matches in this section. Laura Robson and Julia Boserup could be a fascinatingly tight affair with neither in good form and both with big extremes between their best and worst tennis.
Maria Sakkari and Jana Cepelova, both playing in Nottingham for the first time, make up the final first round match. Both have been in relatively poor form and a win for either would give a timely confidence boost in the lead up to Wimbledon.
Prediction Rogers vs Sakkari – Sakkari in 3
Every young player needs one big breakthrough tournament and for Sakkari it feels like that has not come yet. Her favourite surface is grass and it feels as though the big break has been brewing for a while. Why not now?
Semi-Final Predictions
Barty v Riske – Riske in 2
Both were beaten by Karolina Pliskova last year by similar scorelines. Riske is the bigger server while Barty is the better mover on the surface. While each set will be tight, Riske should edge them both to reach her second straight final.
Safarova v Sakkari – Safarova in 2
Lucie Safarova has been a key player on grass over the last few years and the former semi-finalist comfortably has the pedigree to reach the final. It will be a battle against experience for Sakkari and one which she will ultimately lose.
WTA Aegon Open Nottingham Final Prediction: Riske v Safarova – Riske in 2
There is something about Nottingham which has seen Alison Riske improve year-upon-year. She has gone one stage further for each of the past few years so that sequence would suggest that the title should be hers after claiming the second place trophy last year. Her potent serving and flat groundstrokes combine for a perfect grass court formula and one that will see her snap up her third WTA title.
The WTA Aegon Open Nottingham takes place June 12-18 at the Nottingham Tennis Centre.
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