It will be a full house on Day 2 of the WTA Jasmin Open in Monastir, Tunisia. The top seed and world #2 Ons Jabeur makes her tournament debut. The Tunisian trailblazer will be cheered every step of the way. It will be her first match since losing the US Open final to Iga Swiatek. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every much on the slate, including the all-Russian battle between Veronika Kudermetova and Varvara Gracheva. So who will prevail?
WTA Monastir Day 2 Predictions
Harriet Dart vs Nuria Parrizas-Dias
Head-to-head: Dart 1-1 Parrizas-Dias
Parrizas-Dias is currently on a four-match losing streak dating back to the 250 event in Granby. Incidentally, her last win came against Dart in Canada. The Briton, for her part, has endured mixed results in 2022. She recorded a career-best win over Daria Kasatkina at the US Open, but has been winless at her last two tournament main draws. The oddsmakers are sitting on the fence in this one, but Dart has the extra incentive of potentially overtaking Raducanu and becoming the new British No. 1. Her sophisticated point construction should get the better of the Spaniard and avenge that defeat in Granby.
Prediction: Dart in 3
Kamilla Rakhimova vs Moyuka Uchijima
Head-to-head: Rakhimova 1-0 Uchijima
Rakhimova broke the world’s top 100 for the first time just before the US Open following her title-winning run at the Bronx ITF. and despite getting a lucky loser spot at Flushing Meadows, she received a harrowing first-round draw against the in-form Caroline Garcia. She has since slipped outside the centurion club after losing to the Frenchwoman after forfeiting her third-round points from last year’s US Open. The Russian is likely to have a mental edge against Uchijima having defeated the Japanese quite comprehensively in their meeting at the Bronx ITF in August.
Prediction: Rakhimova in 3
Ons Jabeur vs Ann Li
Head-to-head: first meeting
It was imperative the tournament organizers secured Jabeur’s services this week. But I doubt she even had second thoughts about playing this event. Jabeur has grown to become one of the most prominent athletes in the Arab world and she was crying out for a top-tier WTA tournament to be held on home soil. Her prayers have been answered. Ann Li has already defeated a Top 10 player this year in Anett Kontaveit. Will she add a second in Monastir? There is very little to suggest she will do so, but she can unsettle the Tunisian in the early games (this is Jabeur’s first match since the US Open final). Ultimately, Jabeur’s sublime shotmaking and dogged hustle should see her through.
Prediction: Jabeur in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
