Another week on the WTA Tour, another 250-level tournament loaded with talent, even from Day 1–this time in Tallinn, Estonia. Here at LWOT, we’re trying to predict some of the matches taking place on the first day, including future stars Diane Parry and Linda Noskova facing off, Jacqueline Cristian’s comeback from injury against Katie Boulter and the clay-court beast Bernarda Pera’s match against the spotty-yet-huge game of Marta Kostyuk. We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article. Who do you think will win?
WTA Tallinn Day 1 Predictions
Belinda Bencic vs Elena Malygina
Head-to-head: First meeting
Elena Malygina is in this tournament at #404 by virtue of her nationality. Is Belinda Bencic’s game ropey enough to be troubled by somebody this low-ranked? Almost certainly not. After sustaining three losses right at the start of her career, Bencic has gone 34-5 in her career against players ranked outside of the top-300. She has a stifling game style that generally takes a very high-level player to find a way through.
How can we logically back Malygina? There’s only one way we see this match going.
Prediction: Bencic in 2
Katie Boulter vs Jaqueline Cristian
Head-to-head: Cristian 1-0 Boulter
Jacqueline Cristian dropped down a level two weeks ago in Neubourg to try and regain some form returning from injury. It worked a treat as she won the title there and now comes into Tallinn in fine fickle.
Katie Boulter has a chance against any player outside of the very best returners in the world. She’ll give her opponent a run for her money but form and the Romanian’s peak should see Cristian eventually emerge victorious.
Prediction: Cristian in 3
Diana Parry vs Linda Noskova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Paving the way for the next generation alongside her compatriots in the Fruhvirtova sisters, Linda Noskova’s game will surely belong with the best in the world in years to come.
Her game should suit the hard-courts of Tallinn more so than her opponent’s. Diane Parry will probably make a deep run at the French Open at some point in her career but her game remains a little too questionable on a faster surface in its current form. Noskova’s pacey strikes should see her through.
Prediction: Noskova in 2
Bernarda Pera vs Marta Kostyuk
Head-to-head: Kostyuk 3-0 Pera
Bernarda Pera has been having a fantastic year. Those results have only really shown up on the clay though where she is far more comfortable. Pera loves a bit of time on her strikes and her returns in particular something that isn’t afforded to her on a quick hard-court.
Marta Kostyuk’s season has been very different to Pera’s but she still has what it takes to mess with opponents when she can find her game for long enough. The result is more likely to be on Kostyuk’s racket, it’s just a question of whether or not she can sustain her level for long enough. We’ll back her to come through eventually particularly given her record against the American.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
