The WTA Cincinnati Masters will begin in unfamiliar surroundings at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, having relocated from Mason, Ohio to New York due to travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. But there should still be plenty of entertaining action on day one in the Big Apple, with Cori Gauff, who takes on Maria Sakkari, amongst those in action. But who will advance?
WTA Cincinnati Masters Day One Predictions
Anastasija Sevastova vs Kristina Mladenovic
Head-to-head: Sevastova 2-1 Mladenovic
This looks like an intriguing match on paper. Anastasija Sevastova has been rather struggling of late, having won just one of her eight WTA matches this season, and she slipped from her career-high ranking of world #11 to 44th in the WTA standings as a result. Her return to action at the Prague Open was also far from encouraging, with the Latvian slumping to a 2-6 2-6 defeat at the hands of Irina-Camelia Begu in the first round.
Kristina Mladenovic, ranked one place above the Latvian, has also enjoyed her fair share of difficult days since reaching a career-high ranking of world #10. And she too made a losing return to action, falling to Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round in Palermo, despite winning the first set. Both women will surely be desperate for a win at the WTA Cincinnati Masters as a result. But it may well be Sevastova who heads into this match the more confident.
She has, after all, won two of her previous three meetings with Mladenovic, although it was the Frenchwoman who emerged victorious when they last met in Moscow last season. But perhaps more importantly, Sevastova has no shortage of good memories to draw on in New York, having reached the semifinals at the US Open in 2018 and the quarterfinals in 2016 and 2017. She clearly enjoys the conditions at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and that should prove the difference here.
Prediction: Sevastova in 3
Embed from Getty Images
Donna Vekic vs Victoria Azarenka
Head-to-head: Vekic 2-0 Azarenka
For the second year in a row, Donna Vekic and Victoria Azarenka will face off at the WTA Cincinnati Masters. It was Vekic who claimed victory in 2019, adding to her win over Azarenka weeks earlier in San Jose, but the Belarusian will surely be determined to force a different result in 2020. And Vekic has been rather inconsistent of late, having posted a 6-6 record so far in this strangest of seasons. But that is significantly more tennis than Azarenka has been able to play.
The former-world #1, who reached back-to-back US Open finals in 2012 and 2013, has played just twice at WTA-level in 2020 and lost both matches. She is still a formidable player when at her best, with her return game amongst the best in the WTA ranks, but Azarenka now rarely seems able to find her best tennis and was disappointing in Lexington. Perhaps the extended break will have rejuvenated her career, but the solid Vekic seems the likelier winner.
Prediction: Vekic in 2
Embed from Getty Images
Veronika Kudermetova vs Ajla Tomljanovic
Head-to-head: Kudermetova 1-0 Tomljanovic
It is hard to escape the feeling that Ajla Tomljanovic has rather underachieved. The Australian has established herself as a solid member of the top 100, with a career-high ranking of world #39, but a player of her talent surely could have achieved more. She was certainly disappointing on her return to action at the Top Seed Open in Lexington. Facing fifth seed Yulia Putintseva in the first round, Tomljanovic won just four games in a 0-6 4-6 humbling.
That defeat will surely have knocked her confidence ahead of the double-header of the WTA Cincinnati Masters and the US Open in New York. But her first round opponent at the WTA Cincinnati Masters, Veronika Kudermetova, made a similarly uninspired return, losing 0-6 3-6 to Eugenie Bouchard at the Prague Open. Both women are in real need of a win then. But there are few obvious signs pointing towards which one of them will get it.
Kudermetova did win their only previous meeting, which came in the first round in Tianjin last season, very comfortably, yielding just six games to the Australian in a 6-2 6-4 win. If Tomljanovic does seek to reverse that result, imposing herself against Kudermetova’s serve will be essential. But that is too often something Tomljanovic struggles to do, instead appearing happy to give her opponents rhythm. Against the hard-hitting Kudermetova, that will surely prove fatal.
Prediction: Kudermetova in 3
Embed from Getty Images
Venus Williams vs Dayana Yastremska
Head-to-head: first meeting
This could be some match. At their best, both women are dominant ball-strikers, capable of hitting winners from almost anywhere on the court. Dayana Yastremska made her return to action in Palermo, playing well to reach the quarterfinals, but she squandered a match point there in a hard-fought three-set loss to Camila Giorgi. Venus Williams, meanwhile, impressed in beating Azarenka in the first round in Lexington, but fell short in the second round against her sister Serena.
Both women arrive at the WTA Cincinnati Masters in solid, if not exceptional form ahead of what will be their first meeting. Key for Williams will be to muster a good day on serve. For all her quality, she is not the player she once was and it is hard to see her outlasting Yastremska in a protracted baseline duel. But even behind a good serving day, this looks like an uphill battle for Williams. She is good enough to make a match of it, but expect the exuberance and power of Yastremska to see the Ukrainian into the second round.
Prediction: Yastremska in 3
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
