There’s a lot happening on day two at the WTA Cincinnati Open. A number of top players get their campaigns underway and, as ever, we here at LWOT will be offering up our predictions for every match, including Serena Williams vs Emma Raducanu, Coco Gauff vs Marie Bouzkova and Karolina Pliskova vs Venus Williams. But who will reach the second round?
WTA Cincinnati Day 2 Predictions
Madison Keys vs Yulia Putintseva
Head-to-head: Keys 1-1 Putintseva
Yulia Putintseva looked in great form in Toronto where she reached the quarterfinals. Her game is in really good nick right now, though she’s still not quite at the level to challenge the players at the very top. This though, should be a very winnable match. Madison Keys continues to fluctuate between the sublime and the ridiculous. She lost to qualifier Asia Muhammed in Toronto in straight sets, and hasn’t managed a great deal of wins lately. Her fitness is also an issue, which has forced her to withdraw or retire from a number of matches recently. Expect Putintseva to be too good here.
Prediction: Putintseva in 2
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Elise Mertens vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head-to-head: Mertens 1 – 0
Elise Mertens had a great run at Wimbledon, but has been unfortunate with some of her draws since. She’s still playing some great tennis but hasn’t managed to pick up a big string of wins, and it won’t be easy here either. Anhelina Kalinina, meanwhile, looked solid in qualifying, fighting past Petra Martic in the process. She is more than capable of lighting up the court, but Mertens is a tough opponent. She’s tough to hit through and can work her around the court very impressively. This match could probably go either way, but expect Mertens to just about have the edge.
Prediction: Mertens in 3
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Emma Raducanu vs Serena Williams
Head-to-head: first meeting
Could we have asked for a more interesting and exciting first round? Probably not. Form doesn’t come into this occasion – the incredible history of Serena Williams and Emma Raducanu’s heroics last year are what makes this so intriguing. Williams’ career is winding down and many expect her to retire after the US Open, or at the latest at the end of the year. She’s understandably not moving like she used to, but the serve, power and shot-making are definitely still there.
Raducanu is still finding her feet as WTA player, and has had her fair share of struggles with form and fitness. There have been signs of her 2021 US Open form this year, and she will need to be playing close to her best to win this one. Her best tennis comes when she is playing with a lot of aggression, and using all parts of the court to direct her heavy groundstrokes. When she’s playing passively and not hitting through the ball enough, she gets pushed back far too easily and can do little to harm her opponent.
Raducanu struggles against powerful players, and still needs work on her counter-punching. That said, Williams’ movement is a weakness that Raducanu has the quality to exploit. If she can find the angles to make life difficult for the 23-time Grand Slam champion, she’ll certainly have a chance. This match may well be decided by which player is the more aggressive, but give Raducanu the edge as she can probably stay in the fight for longer.
Prediction: Raducanu in 3
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