Nine exciting first-round singles matches are planned for the courts at WTA Dubai on Day 2. We have previewed all nine matches and you can find four of them below. Don’t forget our other predictions, including Sofia Kenin vs Elena Rybakina.
WTA Dubai Day 2 Predictions
Sorana Cirstea vs Anett Kontaveit
Head-to-Head Record: Kontaveit 1-0 Cirstea
A lot of water has passed under the bridge since these two last met. At the time Kontaveit was ranked #121 and Cirstea #83. The Estonian has really moved her game on since then and has to be favourite for this match.
Cirstea is in good form and, as with all the qualifiers, had to win three matches to even make it to this point so she is match ready. However, Kontaveit has her covered on all statistical bases. The Estonian has won a higher percentage of matches on all surfaces and hard courts, she also serves better than the Romanian and, though there isn’t much in it, also has a better record on return. Expect Kontaveit to progress from this match.
Prediction: Kontaveit in 2
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Belinda Bencic
Head-to-Head Record: Bencic 5-1 Pavlyuchenkova
Before I looked at the head-to-head record and stats I thought this might be a closely thought match. However, the Swiss just appears to have the type of game that Pavlyuchenkova struggles to deal with. Bencic is on a four-game winning streak against the Russian, and most of the sets aren’t that close either.
Add into this mix the amazing fact that Pavlychenkova hasn’t won a match in the Dubai main draw since beating Daniela Hantuchova in 2010 (seven losses and counting), and it becomes clear who should win this match. Bencic has a very good record in Dubai, and the Middle East in general. She is, of course, the defending champion for this tournament, and her previous appearance in the UAE was at a high-level ITF tournament in 2017 where she also went undefeated. The Swiss should roll on into the second round here.
Prediction: Bencic in 2
Petra Martic vs Su-Wei Hsieh
Head-to-Head Record: Hsieh 2-1 Martic
The Taiwanese has the career series advantage but actually they haven’t played each other since 2015, so that is largely redundant. Hsieh has been given a lucky loser slot that she will be looking to take advantage of.
Martic had a very good 2019 that pushed her to a career-high ranking of #14. This, though, was mainly through her excellent clay-court form. The Croatian is only 13-12 over the last twelve months on a hard court. However, Hsieh has lost four first-round matches in a row at this level and appears to be on a slight decline, which, at the age of 34 is not to be unexpected.
I anticipate that progress for Martic won’t be straightforward but expect to see the Croatian in the second round.
Prediction: Martic in 3
Maria Sakkari vs Aryna Sabalenka
Head-to-Head Record: Sakkari 1-1 Sabalenka
This shapes up to be an intense battle between two very good players. They have shared the matches in their career series and the last match in Cincinnati last year was a thrilling three set encounter.
Sabalenka’s powerful attacking game is a real test for the shorter, but quick, Greek athlete. Sakkari is a bit more of a counter puncher and she has been adept at using her athleticism to use Sabalenka’s power back at her.
On bare statistics the Belarusian should win this. She has a better hard court record, a higher service game win percentage and a better return game win percentage than Sakkari. However, tennis is not played on a spreadsheet and it is easy to see the Greek causing Sabalenka a lot of problems. I am going for Sabalenka to progress, but after a difficult match.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
