First round action continues at the inaugural edition of the WTA Astana Open on Tuesday. There are ten matches on the slate and, as ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Kristina Mladenovic vs Anna Danilina. But who will reach the second round in the Kazakh capital? We also predict the rest of the day’s matches, split between two other articles. One features Yulia Putintseva vs Ekaterine Gorgodze, and the other highlights Ana Konjuh vs Anna Blinkova.
Nur-Sultan Day 2 Predictions
Anastasia Potapova vs Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove
Head-to-head: 0-1
Potapova broke a four-match losing streak in Ostrava last week, qualifying for the main draw with a win over Stefanie Voegele and a retirement from Ekaterina Alexandrova before beating Caroline Garcia and taking a set off Petra Kvitova in a second-round loss. Pattinama Kerkhove is hoping to break a four-match losing streak of her own in Nur-Sultan, her last singles win coming at an ITF W100 in Landisville in early August where she reached the semifinals. The 29-year-old Dutchwoman has enjoyed better results in doubles throughout her career, while the 20-year-old Russian is only getting started. Potapova has more potential and she is a better player right now, so she should win easily.
Prediction: Potapova in 2
Vera Lapko vs Jule Niemeier
Head-to-head: first meeting
The 22-year-old Lapko enters with a protected ranking as the former No. 60 is down to No. 408 in the rankings. The Belarusian hasn’t played 20 matches in a season since 2018, struggling for regular play over the past few years. Lapko had a good run in her last tournament which also happened to be in Kazakhstan, making the final of a W25 in Almaty. Her opponent, Niemeier, is enjoying a breakthrough year, starting the year as the No. 271 and now entering this tournament at No. 132. The German has won 37 matches this season including two semifinals at 250s in Strasbourg and Hamburg. Niemeier is certainly the favorite with her current form.
Prediction: Niemeier in 2
Jaqueline Cristian vs Natalia Vikhlyantseva
Head-to-head: first meeting
Cristian has put together some good runs this year, qualifying for the quarterfinals at the WTA 500 in St. Petersburg and semifinals in Karlsruhe. The Romanian has a slightly positive 25-21 record on the season but her best result did come on indoor hard. Vikhlyantseva qualified in Nur-Sultan after a three-set win over 17-year-old Kazakh, Tatyana Nikolenko, and a walkover from Monica Niculescu. The Russian has been as high as No. 54 in her career but has struggled in the past couple of years, winning only 17 matches in the past two seasons.
Prediction: Cristian in 2
Kristina Mladenovic vs Anna Danilina
Head-to-head: first meeting
Third seed Kristina Mladenovic is still far from her Top 10 level from a few years ago, but the 28-year-old has started to string together some wins again, making the quarterfinals at two of her last three tournaments. Her opponent is a Kazakh wild card ranked 287th, Anna Danilina. Danilina is 26 and is yet to enter the top 250, though she has found success in doubles, breaking the Top 100 this season. Despite the home advantage, I’m confident in Mladenovic winning her opener.
Prediction: Mladenovic in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
