Day 2 at the WTA Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose features the remaining first round matches. The three matches below showcase three Americans, two of whom are teenagers. Amanda Anisimova is a talented player who has not played up to her standards of late, and she has to go up against Ajla Tomljanovic who has been on fire recently. Kristina Mladenovic has been up and down the past few yaers, but she has a favorable matchup here against qualifier Na-Lae Han. The day is headlined by the American battle between Sloane Stephens against up-and-comer Caty McNally. American fans will be treated to both present and potential future stars. We preview all the matches, with the remaining three match predictions in a separate article.
WTA San Jose Day 2 Predictions
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Amanda Anisimova
Head-to-head: 1-1
Anisimova is undoubtably the more talented of the two players, but form will be a big factor entering this match. Tomljanovic has had a great year highlighted by her quarterfinal run at Wimbledon, and her last two losses on hard courts were competitive losses against top-5 players Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka. Anisimova has seemed lost and does not look like the player she was when she broke into the Top 25 at age 18. She has been able to play better on hard courts, beating Sloane Stephens in Miami and taking Bianca Andreescu to a competitive third set in the following round.Anisimova will not be an easy opponent, regardless of form, but she has simply not been playing well coming into this match. Tomljanovic is playing good tennis and hasn’t shown signs of slowing down, so she will have the advantage this match against an Anisimova who is still struggling to regain her level.
Prediction: Tomljanovic in 2
Kristina Mladenovic vs Na-Lae Han
Head-to-head: first meeting
Mladenovic is a good player but has been plagued by inconsistency and is riding a three match losing streak. Han is playing in her first main draw match of the year after getting through qualifying by winning two three-setters. Han has not had great results this year. She is just 16-21, playing exclusively Futures events and qualifying matches. Mladenovic has a game that is well-suited for this matchup, even if she does not play her best. Her big serve will keep any match close, especially against a lesser player. Han is nowhere near the caliber of player Mladenovic is, and her big serve and forehand are serious weapons on a hard court. Mladenovic, despite her inconsistent play, should have no problem winning this match quickly and easily.
Prediction: Mladenovic in 2
Caty McNally vs Sloane Stephens
Head-to-head: 1-0 Stephens
This is a rematch from this past spring, where Stephens won in straight sets on the clay in Parma. McNally is a great doubles player with four career titles, but she has yet to have the same results in singles. Stephens has had a decent year with good results at the last two Majors. However, the former US Open champion is just 1-5 on hard courts in 2021, with her one win coming against Oceane Dodin who is ranked outside the Top 100.
Stephens’ hard-court woes are a concern, but her form improved significantly on grass and clay. She should be able to use that momentum as the tour transitions to hard court. McNally does not quite have the game to match up to Stephens’ strong groundstrokes, so she will have to hope for Stephens to make errors. The match will be on Stephens’ racket, and she will regain her form on the hard courts and win the all-American matchup.
Prediction: Stephens in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
