Day 2 at the Rogers Cup in Toronto brings another round of top tier talent. In action will be the Silicon Valley Classic champion Zheng Saisai. Winning her maiden title on the WTA tour should invigorate China’s Zheng creating a troublesome opening round for Germany’s Tatjana Maria. Also in action is the Washington Citi Open finalist Camila Giorgi taking on the form finding Victoria Azarenka. Here are four of the opening round matches and predictions for who will move on to Round 2 in Toronto, Canada. And don’t worry, we have predictions for even more Toronto Day 2 matches.
WTA Toronto Rogers Cup Day 2 Predictions
Zhang Shuai vs Anastasija Sevastova
Head to head: Zhang 1-3 Sevastova
Anastasija Sevastova had a solid clay court season but this is a different surface. Zhang already has a few hard court matches under her belt, including Montreal qualifiers to earn this main draw spot. The Latvian is a solid contender with significantly more weapons that the consistent Zhang. And, I think that’ll make the difference in the match outcome. Sevastova moves on to the second round.
Prediction: Sevastova in 2
Iga Swiatek vs Ajla Tomljanovic
Head to head: First meeting
Iga Swiatek made her way into the main draw with two commanding wins in qualifiers. The young Pole is a capable player and her name is tossed around when talking about the cadre of teenagers making their mark on the WTA tour. While Tomljanovic is the favorite, I don’t think it will be quite that straightforward. I expect the teenager to make some inroads on the Aussie’s game, pushing it to a decider. But, eventually Tomljanovic comes through.
Prediction: Tomljanovic in 3
Zheng Saisai vs Tatjana Maria
Head to head: First meeting
After Zheng’s run in San Jose, I simply cannot pick against her. Full of confidence, the 25-year-old Chinese is finally realizing her potential. She’ll be playing a different style opponent. Maria plays with the same guile and craft as does Zheng. But, Zheng’s ability to get so many balls in play and with intention, it’s hard to see Maria really challenging this rankings climber.
Prediction: Zheng in 2
Victoria Azarenka vs Camila Giorgi
Head to head: Azarenka 0-2 Giorgi
The head to head doesn’t bode well for Azarenka, as she’s yet to defeat Italy’s Camila Giorgi. Yet, Azarenka’s form is returning, even though the serve continues to be a sore spot. Giorgi is coming off a finals appearance in Washington while Azarenka was an early exit in San Jose. Don’t count out the Belorussian as she is very capable of opening round victories. I think the points will be relatively short as both will look to end the point long before the opportunity allows. But, it’s Azarenka who will have a bit more patience and craft to the points.
Prediction: Azarenka in 3
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
