Day 2 at the WTA Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose wraps up the rest of the first round matches. The matches below are highlighted by three Americans, primarily Danielle Collins, fresh off her first WTA title and hungry to continue her strong 2021. Claire Liu looks to get some wins under her belt but faces Dayana Yastremska, who will be looking to prove herself after being suspended the first half of 2021. All three matches below should be competitive with every player having a chance to get a first round win in a deep draw. We also preview the rest of the day’s matches in another article.
WTA San Jose Day 2 Predictions
Dayana Yastremska vs Claire Liu
Head-to-head: 1-0 Liu
Yastremska is back from injury and playing just her third tournament of the year after a suspension for a positive drug test, and this will be her second match on a hard court. Liu is having a strong year and the young American is just outside the top-100, and though most of her matches have been on the Futures circuit, she has picked up some solid wins along the way. Yastremska is a talented young player, but she faces challenges of a lack of match fitness and long travel after the Olympics in Tokyo. Liu has a chance for an upset and has challenged some good players this year, she will have to rely on fitness and attempt to wear down Yastremska. Yastremska did win her first two matches back so she seems fit enough to win and simply has a better game than Liu and can pull out the win.
Prediction: Yastremska in 3
Donna Vekic vs Yulia Putintseva
Head-to-head: 4-1 Vekic
While Vekic has dominated the head-to-head, Putintseva won their most recent meeting last year on the hard courts in Brisbane. Putintseva retired in her first-round match in the Olympics due to the heat, so that shouldn’t carry over with plenty of time to recover and much friendlier weather in San Jose. Putintseva has been in good form, taking the title several weeks ago in Budapest after a decent year. Vekic has scored a lot of match wins this year, but she has rarely been able to handle top players. Though she did beat Aryna Sabalenka last week at the Olympics, Sabalenka can be error-prone an inconsistent. Both players will try to hit through each other, and limiting errors will be the key. Putintseva is more suited for these big matches and Vekic will not be able to do enoguh to get past her.
Prediction: Putintseva in 3
Danielle Collins vs Shelby Rogers
Head-to-head: first meeting
Collins is having a strong year and is coming off a well-deserved break after capturing her first career WTA title in Palermo. She also scored a signature win on a hard court earlier in the year when she beat world #1 Ash Barty in Adelaide. Rogers is a solid player who is best on hard courts, highlighted by her run to the fourth round at the Australian Open earlier this year. She has played well at slams, reaching the third round at Wimbledon, but her form has been mediocre throughout the rest of the season. Collins is seeded and will be hungry for a second title after finally getting over the hump, and while she is better rounded for all court surfaces, her game is well suited for hard courts. Collins has been in great form and will overpower Rogers and continue her good play by giving her too much to handle.
Prediction: Collins in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
