Fan favorite Sam Stosur and French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova are among the players in action on the first day of main draw play at the WTA Eastbourne grass court tournament in England. We have all your predictions, including predictions for matches featuring Harriet Dart and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Viktorija Golubic vs Sam Stosur
Stosur won their 2019 match, though Golubic is a massively improved player now and further showed her new high level on the court in the qualifying rounds. Stosur, a tour veteran with plenty of experience, and some meaningful success on grass, is trying to overcome a foot injury as she plays her just her second match since the home tournament swing in Australia, this week. Stosur’s first match back was a routine defeat at the hands of Tereza Martincova in Birmingham. Golubic looks to be too difficult of an opponent for Stosur to master at this time, the Swiss could do damage this week, and at Wimbledon depending on the draw. Golubic in 2
Veronika Kudermetova vs Alison Riske
The pair have split meetings although Riske won on grass in 2019, Kudermetova lost in the second round of Berlin to eventual champion Ludmilla Samsonova, though she’s had an excellent season so far. Riske has struggled to stay healthy in 2021, she won a match in Nottingham before losing to Lauren Davis in round 2, her record on grass is far better than her ranking, and when healthy she’s a threat to even the world’s top 10 players on the surface. The injury/form cloud for Riske makes this a difficult match to parse, but she gets the benefit of the doubt to win on grass. Riske in 3
Camila Giorgi vs Karolina Pliskova
Pliskova dominates the h2h 5-1, although Giorgi is excellent on grass and is having a solid run, qualifying for Eastbourne and also winning a match in Birmingham. Pliskova has struggled since losing the Rome final, her grass court record is also excellent though and she’s a former Eastbourne champion. This match deserves more than being a simple first round meeting, the h2h in favor of Pliskova tips her as the favorite though. Pliskova in 3
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Jelena Ostapenko
Ostapenko leads the h2h 4-1 including a win on grass, Ostapenko won a match in Birmingham, Pavlyuchenkova is playing her first tournament match since losing the Roland Garros final. The transition could be difficult for Pavlyuchenkova, who doesn’t have the best record on grass. An upset looks to be in the water here. Ostapenko in 3
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