Most of the focus is on Madrid, but there’s a WTA 125 tournament going on in Saint-Malo this week. As we just have Rome then a short break before the French Open, many solid players are trying to find form this week. As always, we’re here to predict the matches for you.
WTA Saint-Malo Day 2 Predictions
Clara Tauson vs Varvara Gracheva
Tauson is only 18 years old, but she’s fast making a name for herself on Tour. She has already won a title this year (in Lyons in March), and it looks like Denmark has found its next star since Caroline Wozniacki retired. Tauson is an up-and-coming name, and while she isn’t quite fully solid on clay yet, she’s improving in just about every tournament. Gracheva, meanwhile, has been playing pretty poorly this year, so she shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge.
Prediction: Tauson in 2
Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs Tessah Andrianjafitrimo
Move over, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, women’s tennis has a new editor’s worst nightmare. And I absolutely do expect Andrianjafitrimo to make a name for herself in the coming years. Her ranking has stagnated in the mid-200s the past few years, but the talent is obvious to anyone who watches her. The Frenchwoman might not win Slams, but she should be able to consistently compete on Tour. Unfortunately for her, she is currently in the midst of a very poor run of form, though her two qualifying matches in Saint-Malo showed a much higher level than she has in ITF tournaments the past few months. Even so, Sasnovich is the much more likely winner here.
Prediction: Sasnovich in 3
Tamara Zidansek vs Tereza Martincova
How tight is the draw in this tournament? Zidansek is #80 in the world and is the fourth seed. Martincova, meanwhile, is ranked #95, yet is unseeded. The Czech has not played too much high-level tennis on clay recently, and her results have been spotty at best. The Slovenian, meanwhile, pulled an incredible run all the way to the final in Bogota last month. I’d expect Zidansek to move on.
Prediction: Zidansek in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
