Anything but what’d you expect happened Tuesday at the WTA Toronto Rogers Cup. Top seed Ashleigh Barty was stunned by American Sofia Kenin in a tough, three-set battle. Poland’s rising teen star Iga Swiatek moved through when Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic retired, down 1-4. Victoria Azarenka easily beat Italy’s Camila Giorgi and veteran Venus Williams lost in straight sets to Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro.
Let’s take a look at five interesting Day 3 matches are predictions for who’ll move on in Toronto on a day where Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka are also in action:
WTA Toronto Rogers Cup Day 3 Predictions
Caroline Wozniacki vs Iga Swiatek
Head to head: First meeting
Iga Swiatek has won four out of her last five hard court matches. Her single loss was to Jessica Pegula, who went on to win the title in Washington D.C.’s Citi Open. Poland’s Swiatek is a rising talent who just needs the experience to reach the level of which she’s capable.
Caroline Wozniacki had a strong opening performance in Toronto. Against Putintseva, the Dane broke serve four out of seven opportunities. Usually considered an exceptional defender, Wozniacki added her fair share of aggressive play, especially when returning serve. It’s hard to deny Wozniacki when everything is clicking.
Prediction: Wozniacki in 2
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Zhang Shuai
Head to head: First meeting
Zhang Shuai turned in a nice win against the #10 seed Anastasija Sevastova. Zheng won 73% of her first serves and a relatively high 64% of second serves. Most notable was the consistency and ability to stay in the point. It kept Sevastova unable to set up for her shots and opened the door to Zhang’s three service breaks. I was impressed with Zhang’s tiebreak, an area of her game which is hit or miss. Today, the Chinese was solidly on point and allowed her to take the first set tiebreak 7-5. Perhaps this match was a great precursor to her upcoming bout with Ekaterina Alexandrova.
This will be Ekaterina Alexandrova’s fourth match in Montreal, as her main draw bid was earned through qualifiers. In her opener Alexandrova had nine aces, but also threw in seven double faults. Still, Alexandrova won 88% of her first service points and 70% of her second. Most impressive, the Russian claimed all five of her break point opportunities.
This is a tricky match for Zhang, who seems off put by big servers. And, Alexandrova is certainly showing a will to win. I give the edge to Alexandrova.
Prediction: Alexandrova in 2
Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Donna Vekic
Head to head: Kuznetsova 2-1 Vekic
After six months’ absence recuperating from a knee injury, Svetlana Kuznetsova continues her comeback campaign. It’s going to be a tall task against Donna Vekic. The Croat continues to find a way to win matches, saving numerous match points en route to the win. After Vekic’s performance against American Madison Keys, she seems tough to beat.
Prediction: Vekic in 3
Victoria Azarenka vs Dayana Yastremska
Head to head: First meeting
Here you have two players who brought in commanding wins against tough opponents in their opening matches. And, both players racked up the double faults, though Azarenka had far fewer than usual. The Azarenka form has been steadily improving, almost near her pre-maternity level. It’s only the Belorussian’s serve which still hasn’t reached its former level. While Yastremska had nothing short of a spectacular win against Johanna Konta, Azarenka won’t let her see a five game run as the Brit did. Some good points can be expected, but Azarenka will come good in straight sets.
Prediction: Azarenka in 2
Jennifer Brady vs Simona Halep
Head to head: First meeting
After a first round bye, Simona Halep begins her tournament in Toronto against American Jennifer Brady. As the defending champion and fresh off her second career Slam title (Wimbledon 2019), the Romanian superstar should be confident in her Rogers Cup bid.
In Brady’s opener, she commanded against France’s Kristina Mladenovic. Losing only three games, Brady won 88% of her service games and claimed five breaks of serve from the shocked Mladenovic. It was a strong performance, and if it weren’t for Halep standing in her path, Brady is at the level to make a deep run.
Jen Brady is a big serving, hard hitting player. Yet, those big weapons are no big deal for Halep. She can absorb power and easily redirect exposing Brady’s movement. Look for a straight sets win from the Romanian.
Prediction: Halep in 2
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Disagree with our WTA Toronto Rogers Cup Day 3 Predictions? As always, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.
