The WTA tour continues its stint in the United States with a WTA 500 event in Chicago. As expected, the tournament features several American stars such as Madison Keys and Danielle Collins, both of whom will be in action on Monday. They are just two of several home favourites hoping to lift the trophy this week. Will any of them have what it takes to go all the way? Who has the tools necessary to stop them and make sure the title doesn’t stay in America? Every day we strive to answer those questions in our WTA Chicago Classic Day 1 predictions. We also predict the rest of the day’s action, split between two other articles. One features Marketa Vondrousova vs Ajla Tomljanovic, and the second features Kim Clijsters vs Su-Wei Hsieh.
WTA Chicago Classic Day 1 Predictions
Andrea Petkovic vs Olga Govortsova
Head-to-head: 2 – 1 Petkovic
These women are two veterans of the WTA tour. Both are more than capable players at their best and a decade ago this would have been a must see match. Petkovic leads the head-to-head with two wins to Govortsova’s one. All of their meetings came between 2009 and 2010, around the time when they were in their primes. Unfortunately neither is at that level anymore, but Petkovic has declined at a far less rapid rate than the Belarusian and is still capable of playing tour level tennis. The German should advance comfortably here with her higher ceiling and more recent tour experience getting her over the line.
Prediction: Petkovic in 3
Alize Cornet vs Dayana Yastremska
Head-to-head: First meeting
This match has upset written all over it. At the start of the year Yastremska would have been the clear favourite to win this. However, the young star has had her season effectively ruined by a doping ban that saw her miss most of the first half of the year. She has since struggled to rediscover the form that saw her lift three WTA titles and climb as high as #21 in the world. Cornet has played far more tennis this year and can be a tricky opponent when she is on her game. If Yastremska can find her range early she should blow the French woman off the court. However, her recent form suggests that is unlikely to happen and I think Cornet will capitalise.
Prediction: Cornet in 3
Madison Ingles vs Caroline Dolehide
Head-to-head: First meeting
This represents a great opportunity for both of these players to make headway in a larger WTA tournament. Dolehide has shown flashes of an exciting game over the last couple of years but has failed to perform consistently at this level. Ingles too has never found it in her game to climb the ranks of the WTA ladder and make herself into a household name. The American has a slightly bigger game and homecourt advantage which should get her over the line in this match. This should be close but Dolehide looks like the right call.
Prediction: Dolehide in 3
Lizette Cabrera vs Shelby Rogers
Head-to-head: First meeting
This looks a fairly straightforward match to call. Cabrera is ranked over 100 places below Rogers and has never featured in the top 100 either. Add to that the fact that Shelby Rogers is in the midst of the best 12 months of her career and it looks to me like there can only be one winner here. The Aussie has the advantage of two qualifying matches under her belt. However, that won’t be enough to overcome the gulf in class here unless Rogers is very off her game. Pick the American to advance in this one.
Prediction: Rogers in 2
Madison Keys vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich
Head-to-head: First meeting
There was a time when this would be a sure-fire thriller of a tennis match. However, both of these players are in shocking form and have been for quite some time. Sasnovich still can’t find any sort of consistency and it appears Madison Keys has caught whatever bug is ailing the Belarusian. The American is on a five match losing streak and is a shadow of the player who made the US Open finals at the peak of her powers. Keys is still the better player here and playing on home soil should help, but this is a toss up if ever there was one. Keys gets the nod from me only because she has more weapons than Sasnovich and is less likely to beat herself than the Belarusian is.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
