The WTA Lyon Open has already made headlines by granting the Yastremska sisters a wild card into the doubles draw as they had to flee Ukraine, but main draw play starts Monday in France. As always, we here at LWOT will preview and predict every match. Who do you think will win?
WTA Lyon Open Day 1 Predictions
Varvara Gracheva vs Kristina Kucova
Head-to-head: first meeting
Gracheva comes into Lyon in decent form, a 7-2 record in February. The 21-year-old’s runs in St. Petersburg and Dubai include wins over Viktorija Golubic and Ajla Tomljanovic. The 31-year-old Kucova has had a rough start to the season with a 3-6 record, winning only one match in her last five. Considering the form both players are coming in with, Gracheva should be a strong favorite and I expect her to confirm her position.
Prediction: Gracheva in 2
Jasmine Paolini vs Irina Bara
Head-to-head: Paolini 1-1 Bara
Both players come into the match in middling form, both with slightly negative records on the year and a two-loss streak coming into Lyon so one of them is sure to break it. Paolini and Bara will play out their third meeting here, facing each other twice before in 2016, splitting wins on clay ITF $25ks. Paolini’s only win in February has come against doubles specialist Giuliana Olmos in Dubai while Bara only beat No. 873 Dara Shnaider in the past month. It is almost a coin flip but I am backing Paolini here.
Prediction: Paolini in 3
Alize Cornet vs Cristina Bucsa
Head-to-head: first meeting
Cornet reached her first Slam quarterfinal in Australia at 32 years old but has not followed it up in February, her only win coming after a big battle against Ludmilla Samsonova in Doha with losses to Aryna Sabalenka and Elise Mertens. Bucsa qualified for the main draw here with wins over Lucrezia Stefanini and Tatjana Maria. The Spaniard has looked solid so far this year, going 8-4 on the season and has a shot at a win that would put her season on the map here. Despite that, I think Cornet will give her best effort in front of the French crowd and should go far if her form picks up.
Prediction: Cornet in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
