Day 3 at the Monterrey Open was marked by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova not dropping a game in her match against Ivana Jorovic. Pavlyuchenkova has now won 6-0 in three of the four sets she has played here, and is a real threat to win the title. Today, three Grand Slam champions take center stage as Garbine Muguruza, Victoria Azarenka, and Angelique Kerber look to advance to the quarterfinals. Let’s see who comes out on top!
WTA Monterrey Open Day 4 Predictions
Kristina Mladenovic vs Greta Arn
Head to Head: Never Played
Kristina Mladenovic picked up a big win in the first round of the Monterrey Open, as she squeaked out the win over Beatriz Haddad Maia in a third set tiebreaker. That was a big win for Mladenovic, as she had been struggling to get wins this season. Mladenovic will take on lucky loser Greta Arn, who is 39 years old. Despite losing in the final round of qualifying, Arn took advantage of being a lucky loser and survived Lara Arruabarrena serving for the match to get the victory.
These two players have never faced off. The match will come down to whether Mladenovic can handle Arn’s powerful game, and whether Arn will be able to combat Mladenovic’s slices, net game, and drop shots. Arn, while hitting powerful shots, will not be consistent enough to deal with Mladenovic’s game, and Kristina will move on.
Prediction: Mladenovic in 3
Margarita Gasparyan vs Garbine Muguruza
Head to Head: Never Played
Margarita Gasparyan had no troubles in the opening round of the Monterrey Open, dropping one game to Victoria Rodriguez in a resounding 6-1 6-0 victory. On the other hand, Garbine Muguruza had a much tighter two set encounter. Muguruza was down a double break in the first set, and survived three set points in the second set to get the 6-4, 7-6(4) win. Muguruza will have to play at a higher level if she wants to be Gasparyan.
This match will come down to whether Muguruza is able to produce controlled aggression, and not spray unforced errors, and whether Gasparayn’s one-handed backhand will hold up when Muguruza goes after that wing. And given the players’ respective Round 1 performances, Gasparyan will have the upper hand.
Prediction: Gasparyan in 3
Zarina Diyas vs Victoria Azarenka
Head to Head: 1-0 Azarenka
Zarina Diyas was able to put away Renata Zarzua in straight sets, but it wasn’t easy in the 7-5 6-4 win, which lasted almost two hours. Azarenka had a little easier of a time in her opening round match, comfortably beating Miyu Kato 6-4 6-2. These two players, excluding a walkover, have played once before, with Azarenka winning easily 6-3 6-2.
This match will be decided by whether Azarenka can continue with her high level of play, using controlled aggression to move opponents around the court and giving them less time to make decisions, or whether she starts hitting a bunch of unforced errors. Diyas will be solid, but Azarenka can play at a much higher level. Victoria takes the victory.
Prediction: Azarenka in 2
Angelique Kerber vs Karolina Muchova
Head to Head; 1-0 Kerber
Angelique Kerber was able to fight off a challenge from Kristina Kucova in the first round, winning 7-6(4) 6-2. Karolina Muchova had an even tougher time with her opening round opponent, Shillin Xu, winning the match 6-4 5-7 6-3. These two have recently played one another in Indian Wells, with Kerber coming back from a set and break points down to win in three sets.
Muchova is a player who doesn’t like to just stand on the baseline and rally all day. She is great about taking the match to her opponents, and frustrating them. Kerber will have to stay calm and focused, make sure she is getting a lot of balls back, and taking her opportunities when they come. She was able to do this after the first set at Indian Wells, and now that she has a better read on Muchova’s game, I like her to win again here. Kerber wins, and it won’t be as close as their first meeting.
Prediction: Kerber in 2
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