The inaugural WTA Abu Dhabi Open will have no shortage of star attraction as four Top 10 players lead the field in the first event of the 2021 season.
As always, here at Last Word On Tennis, we offer our predictions of all 12 matches on the first day of main draw action, which features some enticing encounters. In addition to this article, we have the other eight matches of the day split between two other articles. Who will advance?
WTA Abu Dhabi Open Day 1 Predictions
Anett Kontaveit vs Veronika Kudermetova
Head-to-head: Kontaveit 0-1 Kudermetova
Anett Kontaveit had a decent 2020 season by her own standards, highlighted by reaching her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open. She replicated her good form in second half of the season after tennis’ resumption last August, whereby she reached the final in Palermo (losing to an inspired Fiona Ferro), the quarterfinals in Cincinnati, and fourth round of US Open–losing both times to Naomi Osaka.
She opens up against Veronika Kudermetova whom in comparison was also a steady performer last year. The 22-year-old reached the semifinals in Hobart at the start of the season and made back-to-back quarterfinals towards the end of the year in Ostrava and Linz respectively.
Both players hit big, but it is the Estonian who is the more consistent in hitting the right spots. I expect her to have too much firepower for the error-prone Russian.
Prediction: Kontaveit in 3
Yulia Putinseva vs Martina Trevisan
Head-to-head: First meeting
It is hard to envisage a more implausible outcome than Martina Trevisan’s French Open exploits at the back end of the 2020 season. The Italian who begun the year at No.153, and grinding it out in an ITF event in Cairo just last February, produced a spectacular run to reach the quarterfinals at Roland Garros as qualifier: weathering a slice of misfortune from the line umpire, withstanding multiple match points and beating a top-10 player in the space of two weeks.
The Italian left-hander’s only hard court match at tour level was in the first round of the Australian Open last January in which she was beaten comfortably by Sofia Kenin. Granted Putintseva is not in Kenin’s league, she is still a feisty competitor who will keep plugging away. Trevisan’s dexterous touch with that sliced backhand can take off the pace of the ball on the dirt, but not on hard where the diminutive Kazakh is a clean striker.
Prediction: Putintseva in 2
Leylah Fernandez vs Jasmine Paolini
Head-to-head: First meeting
Canada has firmly established itself as tennis powerhouse with the emergence of Bianca Andreescu, Felix-Auger Aliassime and Denis Shapolvaov on the main tour. Now, Leylah Fernandez is looking to follow in their footsteps. The talented 18-year-old cracked the Top 100 for the first time last year after a productive season yielded a maiden final appearance in Acapulco (lost to Watson), and picked up a handful of wins against players like Sloane Stephens and Belinda Bencic.
Jasmine Paolini has also entrenched her name inside the Top 100, but I would be surprised if she can counter Fernandez’s excellent shot-making and ability.
Prediction: Fernandez in 2
Daria Kasatkina vs Qiang Wang
Head-to-head: Kasatkina 4-1 Wang
Kasatkina’s slate is clean as she begins her 2021 season with the hope of banishing those terrible spells in the last two seasons. She has a very tough opening match against World No.34 Qiang Wang.
Wang is currently China’s top-ranked player who memorably defeated Serena Williams in the third round of the Australian Open last year. Unfortunately for her, it was her only significant achievement in her campaign which ended prematurely in March due to complex restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic and a recurrence of waist injury.
Kasatkina owns Wang in this match up and the Chinese woman hasn’t played competitively since a Fed Cup singles rubber last March. The Russian should squeeze her way into the second round.
Prediction: Kasatkina in 3
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