Day 3 of WTA Auckland is here! It’s been an incredible opening week of the WTA season so far and play continues with more fantastic matches Wednesday! Who will rise to the occasion and who will fall? Read on to find out!
WTA Auckland Day 3 Predictions
Alize Cornet vs Petra Martic
Head to Head: 1-0 Cornet
Alize Cornet and Petra Martic tangle in the second round of Auckland. Alize Cornet survived a set deficit and fought back to win the match in three tough sets against Ysaline Bonaventure in the first round. Petra Martic also had a tough first round match, coming back from a set down to beat Usue Maitane Arconada.
Cornet leads the head to 1-0, but that was a clay court match in 2010. This should be a very close match with longer rallies. However, Martic has a little extra power on her groundstrokes compared to Cornet and expect for that to be the difference in the match.
Prediction: Martic in 3
Tamara Zidansek vs Jessica Pegula
Head to Head: never played
Tamara Zidansek battles Jessica Pegula in the second round of Auckland. Tamara Zidansek played a very clutch match to beat Rebecca Peterson in two tiebreaks in her first round match. Zidansek saved five set points in the first set. Jessica Pegula comfortably beat CiCi Bellis in her first round match. Pegula hits a clean ball and can overwhelm players with her power when she’s on her game.
These two have never played before. This is a really tough match to call. Pegula is better on hard courts, but Zidansek had a very impressive first round win. However, Zidansek did not play well in her December matches in Dubai and Limoges and so it’s certainly not a guarantee that she will be able to keep this level on hard courts. Pegula wins a tight match.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Amanda Anisimova vs Daria Kasatkina
Head to Head: never played
Amanda Anisimova takes on Daria Kasatkina with a trip to the Auckland quarterfinals at stake. Amanda Anisimova comfortably won her first round match over Kateryna Kozlova. Daria Kasatkina beat Carla Suarez Navarro in three sets to reach the second round. Kasatkina made a good first step to putting her disappointing 2019 season in the rear view mirror.
These two have never played before. Anisimova likes to try to play power court up in the court, while Kasatkina likes to stand back in the court and defend/counterpunch. This creates an interesting contrast in styles and this should be a compelling match. Anisimova has a great chance to establish herself as a top player this year, and this is the type of match is one she needs to win if she wants to do that. Expect Anisimova to have a little too much power for Kasatkina. Anisimova moves on to the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Anisimova in 3
Eugenie Bouchard vs Caroline Garcia
Head to Head: tied 1-1
Eugenie Bouchard and Caroline Garcia will play for a spot in the quarterfinals of Auckland. Eugenie Bouchard picked up a tight straight sets win over Kirsten Flipkens in the first round. This win will bolster Bouchard’s confidence coming into this match. Caroline Garcia also got a confidence boost from her first round match. Garcia came back from a set down to beat Taylor Townsend.
The head to head is tied 1-1, with both matches coming on hard courts. This another match that could go either way. Bouchard has not consistently won on the WTA Tour in years, while Garcia was terrible both at Fed Cup and in Limoges. However, Garcia’s win in the first round was more impressive than Bouchard’s win. Townsend was playing really wel in that match and giving Garcia very little rhythm. Yet, Garcia still fought through and got the win. Expect Garcia to make the quarterfinals with a close win over Bouchard.
Prediction: Garcia in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
Disagree with our WTA Auckland Day 3 Predictions? As always, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.
