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WTA Lyon Open Day 3 Predictions Including Sofia Kenin vs Vitalia Diatchenko

Oceane Dodin at the Lyon Open

There has been no shortage of entertaining tennis so far at the WTA’s Lyon Open and with the top seeds set to join the fray on day three, the excitement should continue for the fans in southern France. But who will progress and who will fall to defeat?

Lyon Open Day Three Predictions

Viktoriya Tomova vs Alison Van Uytvanck

Head-to-head: first meeting

Alison Van Uytvanck, who has played some fine tennis of late, made a sharp start to her Lyon Open campaign, dismissing Katarzyna Kawa in the first round for the loss of just four games. But the Belgian, seeded fifth this week, may face sterner resistance in the last 16 up against Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova, who battled past Magdalena Frech of Poland, 7-5 6-7 6-4, in the first round. Tomova deserves real credit for the grit she showed in pulling that win out. However, this would likely be an uphill battle for Tomova at the best of times, with Van Uytvanck always a dangerous player indoors. And after her lengthy first-round battle with Frech, this will surely be a match too far.

Prediction: Van Uytvanck in 2
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Camila Giorgi vs Alize Cornet

Head-to-head: Giorgi 4-2 Cornet

With Camila Giorgi and Alize Cornet having played out some memorable matches in the past, this could well end up being the match of day three at the Lyon Open. Giorgi has made a rather indifferent start to the season, with her best showing a run to the third round at the Australian Open. But she picked up a fairly comfortable win in the first round in Lyon, beating Vera Lapko of Belarus in straight-sets, 6-3 6-4 to set up this second-round clash with the fourth seed Cornet.

The Frenchwoman also impressed in the first round, finishing strongly to beat Antonia Lottner of Germany, 7-5 6-0. However, she has struggled against Giorgi lately, having lost four matches on the bounce against the Italian, most recently suffering a 1-6 2-6 hammering at her hands in the Bronx last September. And with the indoor conditions at the Lyon Open likely to favour the more aggressively minded Giorgi, expect the Italian to once again come out on top.

Prediction: Giorgi in 3
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Sofia Kenin vs Vitalia Diatchenko

Head-to-head: Diatchenko 1-0 Kenin

The Lyon Open may seem like a slightly odd stop on world #5 and Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin’s calendar. After all, she is not just the only member of the top 10 in the draw, she is the only member of the top 30 playing in Lyon, with second seed Kristina Mladenovic 34 places below her in the WTA rankings. But Kenin, despite her stunning run to the title at Melbourne Park, is a player in need of a win, having lost in the first round in both Dubai and Doha.

She may not, however, be thrilled to see Vitalia Diatchenko on the other side of the net in her opener in Lyon. The Russian thrashed her 6-1 6-4 in their only previous meeting, albeit in 2018 on the grass at Wimbledon. Kenin has improved markedly in the interim and is evidently more at home on hard courts than she is grass. Nonetheless, Diatchenko can be a difficult opponent to face, particularly for a player seemingly short of rhythm. But Kenin is the better player, by a distance, and that quality should prove the difference.

Prediction: Kenin in 3
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Caroline Garcia vs Ysaline Bonaventure

Head-to-head: first meeting

That Caroline Garcia is talented is beyond doubt. But the Frenchwoman appears to be short on something, whether that be self-belief or application, and she has failed to make the most of her talent as a result, instead languishing outside the top 40. She did, however, play well in her first-round clash with Greet Minnen at the Lyon Open, edging out the Belgian in a third-set tiebreak. Her opponent, Ysaline Bonaventure, enjoyed a rather more straightforward outing, getting the better of Marta Kostyuk 6-4 6-4. But with the crowd certain to be firmly behind Garcia, the Frenchwoman should have just enough power and variety to see off Bonaventure’s challenge.

Prediction: Garcia in 3
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Mandy Minella vs Oceane Dodin

Head-to-head: first meeting

Mandy Minella has found wins exceptionally hard to come by of late and has posted a disappointing 2-5 record so far in 2020, with none of her wins coming at tour-level. Indeed, this will be her first match of the season in the main draw at an ITF event. Oceane Dodin, meanwhile, has also played most of her tennis at ITF-level, but with rather more success and she arrives at the Lyon Open fresh from winning the title in Macon, where she beat Jessika Ponchet from a set down in the final. Last month, she came through the qualifying in St Petersburg to reach the quarterfinals. In short, she is clearly the form player. Expect her to advance as a result.

Prediction: Dodin in 2

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