Expect plenty of exciting tennis on day two at the WTA Lyon Open with several star names set to take to the court at the Palais des Sports Gerland. There are eight first-round matches on the schedule and, as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Camila Giorgi vs Caroline Garcia. But who will book their place in the second round?
WTA Lyon Day 2 Predictions
Kristina Mladenovic vs Zhang Shuai
Head-to-head: Mladenovic 4-3 Zhang
This pair have enjoyed a fairly storied rivalry. They first met 11 years ago in Cagnes-Sur-Mer, where Zhang Shuai disappointed the home crowd with a 6-0 4-6 6-3 win. There has been little to split them since, with Kristina Mladenovic winning four of the matches since and Zhang two. Neither of them come into this match in particularly impressive form, however. But Zhang has at least won a match so far this year, four of them in fact, albeit two in qualifying and one via her opponent’s retirement. Still, that is markedly better than Mladenovic’s record of 0-4.
Prediction: Zhang in 3
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Danka Kovinic vs Arantxa Rus
Head-to-head: Kovinic 1-1 Rus
Danka Kovinic was excellent during her run to the third round at the Australian Open, which included a battling second-round win over Emma Raducanu, but the Montenegrin has not played competitively since. Might ring rust effect her as a result? She should at least be given a chance to build up some rhythm against Arantxa Rus, with the Dutchwoman not the sort of player who blasts opponents off the court, but she is a tough competitor and will give little away. She has also found some form after a quarterfinal-showing at ITF-level in Grenoble and a run to the second round as a qualifier in Qatar. With Kovinic having been out of action for so long, expect Rus to prove too strong.
Prediction: Rus in 3
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Dayana Yastremska vs Ana Bogdan
Head-to-head: Yastremska 1-0 Bogdan
Dayana Yastremska will surely have the crowd right behind her in this match, but how the Ukrainian will cope with the undoubted trauma of the last week remains to be seen. It would certainly be understandable if she is not able to deliver her best tennis less than seven days after fleeing Ukraine. A competitive outing in the doubles alongside her sister Ivanna may have helped in that respect, but it still looks like a tall order for the 21-year-old to find a way to focus on her tennis. Particularly as this would, at the best of times, be a potentially tough test for the Ukrainian.
Prediction: Bogdan in 2
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Tamara Korpatsch vs Oceane Dodin
Head-to-head: Korpatsch 2-2 Dodin
This looks like a close match on paper. It has certainly been a close rivalry so far, with Tamara Korpatsch and Oceane Dodin splitting their four previous meetings with two wins apiece. That said, whilst Korpatsch will have the advantage of greater familiarity with the conditions after coming through the qualifying, Dodin does look like the better player at this point in time. The Frenchwoman has made a broadly impressive start to the season and is currently ranked 74 places above Korpatsch. With the backing of her home crowd, expect her to have the edge here.
Prediction: Dodin in 3
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