There are 16 matches on the slate on a packed day two at the WTA Cincinnati Masters, held for the first time in its history in New York due to restrictions imposed on travel by the continuing coronavirus pandemic. We here at LWOT are offering our predictions for all 16 matches, including Sofia Kenin’s match up with Alize Cornet, Leylah Fernandez’s battle with Ons Jabeur and former US Open champion Sloane Stephens’ match against Caroline Garcia. But who will advance and who will fall to defeat?
WTA Cincinnati Masters Day Two Predictions
Rebecca Peterson vs Elise Mertens
Mertens played well in Prague, one of the first official WTA tournaments post COVID-19, and she has a previous h2h win against the Swede Peterson. Though unpredictable results are certainly more likely now with players in various states of form and rust due to a lack of official matches, Mertens is a clear favorite and should ease into the next round. Prediction: Mertens in 2
Jennifer Brady vs Jessica Pegula
Coming through qualifying would normally give Pegula a head start here, but Brady won the WTA Lexington tournament and given her own excellent form she’s the favorite here. This is the first h2h meeting between the Americans, with Brady expected to edge it. Prediction: Brady in 3
Yulia Putintseva vs Zhang Shuai
Zhang is 2-0 in the history of this matchup with Kazakhstan’s Putintseva. It’s Zhang’s first official match back, while Putintseva won a lone match in Lexington. These players are closely matched rankings wise but Zhang’s h2h advantage should make her a slight favorite. Prediction: Shuai in 2
Kristyna Pliskova vs Veronika Kudermetova
The top seed Pliskova has a previous h2h win and will be a heavy favorite against Kudermetova. Pre-Covid, Kudermetova reached a career high ranking and will be full of belief here but beating a top 5 player still looks to be a steep task. Prediction: Pliskova in 2
Main Photo:
