A wonderfully refreshing day of tennis was had by all, except the losers, in the Italian Alps yesterday. The previews were very successful yesterday and we look ahead to Day 2 with a spring in our step. Seven matches in total will be previewed, four in this article and three in a separate article.
WTA Courmayeur Day 2 Predictions
Stefanie Wagner vs Ludmilla Samsonova
Head-to-head: first meeting
Samsonova is going to be a handful this week. She has a great serve for these conditions and the consistency of the indoor environment will also suit her movement and groundstroke production. I would be surprised if Wagner, the qualifier, is able to take a set in this match. The German has done well to make it through qualifying but is up against a player of a few levels higher class.
Prediction: Samsonova in 2
Jessica Pieri vs Shuai Zhang
Head-to-head: First meeting
The Italian wild card has played seven matches on the WTA Tour this season, but all in qualifying. The fact that this is her first main draw appearance of the season tells its own story, and it would be a big surprise if she beat the eighth seed here. Zhang Shuai isn’t having a good year but often finds her way through the draws of these latter season WTA250 events and I’m sure this will be her target again this week.
Prediction: Zhang in 2
Martina Di Giuseppe vs Jasmine Paolini
Head-to-head: first meeting
I feel that Paolini has a genuine chance of winning this title this week. Hopefully the Italian thinks the same and will carry her form from her last WTA250 event, a victory in Portoroz, into this tournament. The problem is that I don’t think that the conditions are optimum for her game. However, a match against the world #283 is a good way to ease into the tournament and she should win this comfortably enough.
Prediction: Paolini in 2
Petra Martic vs Saisai Zheng
Head-to-head: Martic 1-0 Zheng
Two experienced campaigners here who have seen and done most of all there is on tour. Both of them seem to be on the decline now though, struggling at 43% and 38% win percentages in 2021 respectively. Martic has much more experience indoors though with Zheng playing surprisingly little under a roof and I think these conditions do favor the bigger-serving European player.
Prediction: Martic in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
