Day two at the WTA’s Linz Open will feature nine first-round matches. In the early afternoon, in-form Elena Rybakina will face Nina Stojanovic whilst the fifth seed Julia Goerges is set to take on Margarita Gasparyan. Who will come out on top? We also have predictions for four more Linz matches.
Linz Open Day Two Predictions
Fiona Ferro vs Laura Siegemund
Head-to-head: first meeting
Fiona Ferro had a great summer, achieving a career-high ranking and winning her first WTA title in Lausanne. That said, the Frenchwoman is a clay-court specialist and she might find the slick conditions hard to adapt to. Laura Siegemund, meanwhile, has already got two matches under her belt at the Linz Open after beating Kara Juvan and Tereza Martincova, both in straight-sets, to come through the qualifying. She has more weaponry than the young gun Ferro and that should allow her to dictate proceedings in this match.
Prediction: Siegemund in 3
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Maria Sakkari vs Stefanie Voegele
Head-to-head: Voegele 2-0 Sakkari
Maria Sakkari has enjoyed a career-best season in 2019, capped off with a maiden WTA title in Rabat. She returns to action for the first time since the US Open and will surely have high hopes of putting together a strong end to the season. Although not exactly at home in indoor conditions, the Greek can generate real pace with her forehand which should serve her well in the quick conditions at the Linz Open. Stefanie Voegele, in contrast, hasn’t been playing well lately. Although her run through the qualifying, where she beat Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov and Pauline Parmentier, will have given her confidence, getting back to her best will take some time. Sakkari has made real strides this year and should prove too strong for the struggling Swiss.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
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Barbora Strycova vs Alize Cornet
Head-to-head: Cornet 6-3 Strycova
Their history dates back to 2007 and they have split the two previous indoor meetings. Barbora Strycova had a brilliant run to Wimbledon semifinals, but has rather cooled off since that. Indeed, her only main draw win since that run at the All England Club came in the first round in Wuhan, although she did perform creditably in a three-set loss to Venus Williams in the first round in Beijing. Alize Cornet has been unspectacular lately, but remains a solid professional and she continues to win just about as regularly as she loses on the main tour. There won’t be any surprises on court on Tuesday, but Cornet’s head-to-head advantage might just give the Frenchwoman a substantial psychological advantage.
Prediction: Cornet in 3
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Elena Rybakina vs Nina Stojanovic
Head-to-head: Rybakina 1-0 Stojanovic
Rybakina has been one of the breakout performers of the season and her recent run to the Wuhan quarterfinals has taken her to the WTA’s top 50 for the very first time. The 20-year-old Kazakh evidently feels comfortable in indoor conditions, having captured two 25K titles on indoor hard courts back in March, and she will now surely be targeting a deep run at the Linz Open. Stojanovic, meanwhile, has been enjoying a fine run of form herself and will surely be feeling confident after beating both Austrian wild card Emily Meyer and Ysaline Bonaventure in the qualifying without dropping a set. But Rybakina is a class above and is simply playing far too well at the moment.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
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Margarita Gasparyan vs Julia Goerges
Head-to-head: first meeting
Gasparyan made a great finish to her 2018 season, including reaching the quarterfinals at the Linz Open, but she hasn’t been able to get her game to that level again, with a succession of injury problems not helping her cause. But she may be able to catch fifth seed Goerges cold. The German has played just one tour-level match since the US Open (where she reached the fourth round), losing in Beijing to Polona Hercog. However, the German is the superior indoor player with her big serve and forehand giving her weaponry that is hard to contend with. Gasparyan has power of her own, but she can be rushed, particularly off the backhand. Expect Goerges to take advantage.
Prediction: Goerges in 2
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