The US Open is done and dusted and Iga Swiatek is a champion once again. That being said, there is still plenty to play for in the final weeks of this year’s tennis season. WTA titles, ranking points and potential places in the WTA Finals are all still up for grabs. That should make for a good few weeks of tennis on the WTA Tour. Action resumes for the women’s side of the game on Monday, with several tournaments taking place across different countries. This set of WTA Slovenia Open day 1 predictions covers the four matches in Portoroz so let’s get stuck in to those. However, be sure to check out our other prediction sets for analysis on the matches taking place in other tournaments.
WTA Slovenia Open Day 1 Predictions
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Marta Kostyuk
Head-to-head: 1 – 0 Alexandrova
This will be a match featuring plenty of firepower and aggression. Both are big ball strikers with immense power off both wings and neither is shy about going for their shots. Ekaterina Alexandrova has a better serve which will be an advantage on these courts. However, both are quite streaky and this one could go either way. Marta Kostyuk has shown signs of improving form in recent weeks and I’ll give her the edge here on that basis. The young Ukrainian has a ways to go in the women’s game, but she has the potential to be great and might start showing it with a good run here.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 3
Clara Tauson vs Beatriz Haddad Maia
Head-to-head: 1 – 0 Tauson
Clara Tauson started the year on an absolute tear and looked a real threat to shoot up the ranks in the women’s game. She has slowed down somewhat in the months since, but still looks a good bet to be something special in the future. Equally, Beatriz Haddad Maia has had a year to remember in 2022. The Brazilian won an incredible 12 matches on grass this year. That run resulted in two titles and has her firmly in the mix for a spot in the WTA Finals at the end of the season. If Tauson arrives at her best she probably wins this, but the young Danish star is low on form and confidence and will struggle to overpower Haddad Maia when the Brazilian has so much still to play for in the season.
Prediction: Haddad Maia in 3
Claire Liu vs Anastasia Potapova
Head-to-head: 1 – 0 Potapova
Claire Liu is another young talent many expected more from this season after a stellar 2021 campaign. The young American hasn’t kicked on the way she would have liked to and will need good performances in the next few weeks to ensure she stays well within the top 100 in the women’s game. By contrast, Anastasia Potapova has stormed back from injury troubles in emphatic style this year. She claimed her first WTA title in Istanbul earlier this year and will be hungry for more in the coming weeks. The Russian pummelled Liu at the US Open recently and a similar result looks likely here.
Prediction: Potapova in 2
Emma Raducanu vs Dayana Yastremska
Head-to-head: First meeting
Emma Raducanu’s first round exit at the US Open saw her plummet 73 places in the WTA rankings. The Brit will be keen to claw some of that back in the coming weeks but it’s safe to say that, even if she does, 2022 hasn’t been the year she was hoping for. The Brit has failed to convince many that her US Open triumph last year was less a miracle and more a sign of things to come. That being said, she is young and has established herself as a good player on the tour. She faces another young talent here in Dayana Yastremska. The Ukrainian was also tipped for big things before injuries and a doping ban curtailed her blistering rise. However, she is showing signs of life this year and will be a threat in the tournaments that remain. She’s due a win and I think she could do some real damage in this tournament. That starts with a win here against a Raducanu who is still licking her wounds from the US Open.
Prediction: Yastremska in 2
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