First round action continues from Guadalajara on Day 2 of the Abierto Akron Zapopan. Tuesday’s play sees the third seeded Sara Sorribes Tormo begin her title defence when she takes on America’s Katie Volynets. It will be interesting see how Sorribes Tormo handles this situation as she attempts to defend her first WTA singles title. How will she fare in her opener? We also have predictions for matches featuring Emma Raducanu.
WTA Guadalajara Day 2 Predictions
Camila Osorio vs Viktoriya Tomova
H2H: First meeting.
Camila Osorio has only played one singles match this year, it was a tough one! An opening round loss at the Australian Open to Naomi Osaka. Nevertheless, the Colombian currently sits at a career high ranking of #45 in the world. It’s s a new situation for the 20-year-old this week as the fourth seed at a WTA Tour level event. The majority of Osorio’s success in 2021 came on clay, but she also showed her ability on hard courts with a run to the final in Tenerife and on grass when she came through qualifying to reach the third round at Wimbledon.
Viktoriya Tomova has been struggling for a while, her recent form is unimpressive to say the least. There’s little to suggest Tomova will be much of a threat to Osorio. The Colombian is a fiery competitor and should be too strong on this occasion if she’s able to control her power.
Prediction: Osorio in 2
Caroline Dolehide vs Lin Zhu
H2H: Dolehide 1-0
A winnable matchup for both players, with a rare WTA tour main draw victory on offer. I’ll give the edge to Dolehide here. The American is used to the unique conditions in Guadalajara having come through qualifying. Dolehide has more margin to her game given the heavier topspin she plays with. That’s favourable in these high altitude conditions. Lin Zhu plays flat, with little margin, she might struggle in this spot.
Prediction: Dolehide in 2
Chloe Paquet vs Rebeka Masarova
H2H: First meeting.
Masarova defeated a couple of decent opponents to advance through the qualifying draw in Guadalajara. Tough wins over Usue Maitane Arconada 6-7 6-4 6-4 and Storm Sanders 6-3 7-5. Coming through those tight matches will likely give the Spaniard the edge over Paquet. The Frenchwoman’s recent form is bad, and she will probably struggle even further in unique conditions in Guadalajara. Masarova looks like the likely victor.
Prediction: Masarova in 2
Sara Sorribes Tormo vs Katie Volynets
H2H: First meeting.
Sara Sorribes Tormo won her first WTA single title in Guadalajara last year. A run that started a string of career best performances. The Spaniard’s form cooled off towards the end of 2021 and hasn’t started too brightly in the new year. Sorribes Tormo hasn’t won back-to-back matches since the US Open where she was thrashed by Emma Raducanu, a loss that seemingly halted her momentum. Perhaps a return to Guadalajara will reignite the 25-year-old.
Katie Volynets is a young American on the rise. The 20-year-old enjoyed her most successful season in 2021, most of her success came at the ITF level. Can Volynets start to make her mark on the regular tour? That remains to be seen.
I expect Sorribes Tormo to be too good here. The conditions in Guadalajara aren’t easy. Clearly the Spaniard knows how to handle them. This is a unique situation for Sorribes Tormo, the first time she is defending a WTA title. That could cause some nerves, but she is likely to be too solid in this matchup, Volynets doesn’t seem to have the pedigree to outplay Sorribes Tormo in these conditions.
Prediction: Sorribes Tormo in 2
Main Photo from Getty Images
