The only indoor clay tournament on the WTA Tour gets underway on Monday in Stuttgart. Defending champion Petra Kvitova features in the draw, as do World #1 and #2 Ashleigh Barty and Simona Halep. All involved will be hoping for a good result in Germany to get their European clay court swing under way. Monday’s actions sees only four of the 28 players in the main draw take to the courts. We take a look at who the two advancing to the next round should be in our WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix day 1 predictions.
WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Day 1 Predictions
Belinda Bencic vs Nastasja Maria Shunk
Head-to-head:
The opening match in Stuttgart features #8 seed Belinda Bencic in action against young German qualifier Nastasja Shunk. Shunk is just 18 and did well to come through qualifying for this tournament with two straight sets wins. She sits just inside the top 1000 in the world at the moment and is clearly the overwhelming underdog in this match. Nonetheless, she has the advantage of having played two matches on this surface and will surely be keen to give a good account of herself in her home country. That will be easier said than done against a former top ten player in Bencic.
Bencic has had a slow start to 2021. A final in Adelaide aside, the Swiss has struggled for form and consistency so far this year. That isn’t surprising given she missed the back end of 2020 due to injury. When she is on form Bencic is undoubtedly a top ten talent on the women’s tour. Her somewhat unique open stance backhand is one of the best weapons on the tour and she has deployed it to great effect in recent years on the tour. She has the better game, more experience and a higher ceiling than Shunk. If her rust continues she may struggle for a set, but she should come through this comfortably in the end.
Prediction: Bencic in 2
Maria Sakkari vs Andrea Petkovic:
Head-to-head:
This has all the makings of a brilliant match. Maria Sakkari is in superb form after making the semifinal in Miami. The Greek lost out to Andreescu in a tight contest but made a statement of intent ahead of the clay court segment of the tour. Clay is undoubtedly Sakkari’s favourite surface and she will be looking to make a real push for a permanent place inside the top 20 over the next couple of months. The Athenian has made improvements year after year for nine years in a row on the tour. An improved serve and newfound confidence means she is well placed to do the same in 2021. However, she will need to bring her best if she is to make any headway in Stuttgart.
Standing in her way is Andrea Petkovic. Somewhat amazingly, the German is currently ranked outside the top 100 in the women’s game. However, that is largely due to injuries derailing her career on several occasions. Petkovic was a top ten player at the peak of her powers and has shown flashes of that same brilliance in the runs she has been able to put together on the tour since. She is yet to rediscover the consistency needed to climb up the rankings again, but is still capable of playing with the best on the tour when she is on her game. The German moves incredibly well and has power off both wings that can make her impossible to deal with.
This match is on Sakkari’s racket. If she serves well and maintains the aggression she has showed in Miami, she will win here. If not, it’s anyone’s for the taking and will be a great match to watch. I think Sakkari is ready to take the next step on the WTA Tour and will do just that with a good run here in Stuttgart.
Prediction: Sakkari in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
