The Australian Open might get all the attention, but don’t be fooled. There is currently another WTA tournament taking place in Melbourne right now. In fact, 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin has already lost in the Round of 32 at the WTA Phillip Island Trophy. However, the other 15 Round of 32 matches will be contested on Monday, and we’re here to predict all of them for you. Who will advance? We share our thoughts. This set of predictions looks at four matches, and we also have three other sets, featuring Johanna Konta vs Aliaksandra Sanovich, Varvara Lepchenko vs Danielle Collins, and Madison Brengle vs Bianca Andreescu.
WTA Phillip Island Trophy Day 2 Prediction
Marie Bouzkova vs Zhu Lin
Head-to-head: Zhu 1-0 Bouzkova
Handed a tough first-round draw at the Australian Open, Marie Bouzkova made a swift exit at the hands of Elina Svitolina. Zhu Lin, meanwhile, did manage to win a round, beating Whitney Osuigwe for the loss of only two games before Elise Mertens proved too strong in the second round. Both women have since bounced back with wins at the WTA Phillip Island Trophy, although Bouzkova’s victory over Danka Kovinic did come via retirement.
Still, the Czech looks to be in good position to win this match. She did lose her only previous meeting with Zhu, which came in the second round at Wimbledon in 2017, but she has improved considerably in the interim and has played the better tennis overall so far in 2021. Expect a close contest here, but for Bouzkova’s greater ability to step in and dictate, as well as change direction in the rally, to give her the decisive advantage.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 3
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Misaki Doi vs Sara Sorribes Tormo
Head-to-head: Doi 1-0 Sorribes Tormo
Sara Sorribes Tormo was made to work very hard for her first-round win, but the Spaniard had just enough to edge out Russia’s Ludmilla Samsonova, 6-7 6-1 7-6. But she may struggle up against Misaki Doi. The Japanese disappointed at the Australian Open, losing 1-6 2-6 in the first round to Ajla Tomljanovic, but she got back to winning ways with a fine 6-3 7-5 win over Carolina Garcia. She also beat Sara Sorribes Tormo comfortably in their only previous meeting. Expect the experienced Doi to come out on top once again.
Prediction: Doi in 2
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Francesca Jones vs Patricia Maria Tig
Head-to-head: first meeting
Francesca Jones may have been well-beaten in the first round at the Australian Open by Shelby Rogers, but it has still been an excellent few weeks for the Briton. After winning three qualifying matches to make it into the main draw at Melbourne Park, she then scored her first WTA Tour-level win by upsetting world #44 Zheng Saisai in the first round at the WTA Phillip Island Trophy, a victory that will earn her a place in the top 200 of the WTA Rankings.
But she faces what looks like a tough test up against Patricia Maria Tig. The Romanian enjoyed a career-best season in 2020 and finished the year ranked inside the top 60. Still, the Romanian is at her best on the clay and has not looked entirely convincing so far in Australia, with her first-round win over Lesia Tsurenko her first win of the season in singles. Jones may struggle against the biggest hitters, but this is a winnable match for the 20-year-old.
Prediction: Jones in 3
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Petra Martic vs Rebecca Marino
Head-to-head: first meeting
Petra Martic may still be ranked inside the top 20, but she has not been playing the sort of tennis that would typically be required to maintain such a lofty position in the WTA standings. She has won just one match so far this season and unless she starts finding more victories soon, her ranking looks set to plummet. This won’t be straightforward for the Croatian, however, with Rebecca Marino having played some fine tennis of late.
The Canadian, who took a break from the sport in 2013 before returning in 2017, impressed in qualifying for the Australian Open, where she won a round. Her big serve looks well-suited to the fast courts in Melbourne, and she has already beaten Mayo Hibi and Mona Barthel at the WTA Phillip Island Trophy, without dropping a set in either match. Martic should offer more opposition, but the Canadian looks set to score another memorable win.
Prediction: Marino in 3
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