First round matchups continue on Tuesday, Day 3 at the WTA 250 level Grand Prix Sar La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Rabat, Morocco. The second seeded Ajla Tomljanovic is the highest ranked player in action on day two, the Aussie faces a potentially difficult opening round test as she faces Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Meanwhile, an in-form Claire Liu faces Kamila Rakhimova and Kristina Mladenovic takes on Tessah Andrianjafitrimo. Who will advance to the second round?
WTA Rabat Day 3 Predictions
Kamilla Rakhimova vs Claire Liu
H2H: First meeting.
Claire Liu arrives in Rabat in great form having just won the 125K title in Paris. The American beat some decent opposition on route to the title, wins over Dayana Yastremska, Kaia Kanepi, and Beatriz Haddad Maia as she beat three of the four top seeds in the draw. Conversely, Rakhimova was eliminated in the first round from that very event and hasn’t won a main draw match since a run to the semifinals in Bogota over a month ago. Liu is clearly in the better form and should be expected to win this match. Fatigue and a let-down are potential issues for Lui with a short turnaround from her Paris title run.
Prediction: Liu in 2
Kristina Mladenovic vs Tessah Andrianjafitrimo
H2H: First meeting.
Kristina Mladenovic continues to struggle. A shadow of her former self, the Frenchwoman currently resides just outside the top 100 thanks to some very disappointing results of late. Mladenovic hasn’t been able to find wins despite playing at the ITF and 125K level events. Tessah Andrianjafitrimo will be making a rare appearance at a WTA Tour level event having played the vast majority of her matches at the ITF level. Mladenovic is a class above, but desperately lacking in confidence. That makes this a tough match to predict, but I’ll give Mladenovic the benefit of the doubt.
Prediction: Mladenovic in 3.
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
H2H: Tomljanovic 2-0.
Ajla Tomljanovic remains one of the most accomplished players on tour to never win a WTA title. This week looks like a decent opportunity for that to change for the 28-year-old, who is the second seed in a relatively weak draw in Rabat. Tomljanovic begins her Rabat campaign against an opponent she has never lost to when she faces Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. She defeated Schmiedlova 6-2 6-3 in Sydney earlier this year in their most recent clash. Schmiedlova is likely to pose a greater threat on a clay court, but Tomljanovic is still likely to come out on top thanks to her greater consistency in these types of matchups.
Prediction: Tomljanovic in 3
Main Poto from Getty.
