The Australian Open may be over, but tennis never stops. Day 3 at the WTA Open 6e Sens Metropole in Lyon will conclude two first-round matches. We will also find out the three players who will book their spots in the quarterfinals. As always, we here at LWOT have every match covered in our daily predictions. Who do you think will advance?
WTA Lyon Day 2 Predictions
Rebeka Masarova vs Jasmine Paolini
Head-to-head: Paolini 1-0 Masarova
Paolini is the better player in these conditions. She has played more matches under the roof than Masarova. Last year she reached the semifinal of this tournament. The Italian is hard as nails to break down from the baseline, but the formbook could be the determining factor here. We are only a month into the new year and Masarova is enjoying the best season of her career having reached her maiden Tour-level final in Auckland and debuting in the Top 100. Expect the in-form Spaniard to bolster her terrific start to 2023 with yet another scalp.
Prediction: Masarova in 3
Alison Van Uytvanck vs Tamara Korpatsch
Head-to-head: Van Uytvanck 2-0 Korpatsch
Van Uytvanck has the upper hand in this matchup. She has beaten Korpatsch in each of their two bouts in 2022 in straight sets. Korpatsch is winless since the turn of the year. Playing a stacked schedule with very little rest time in the second half of last season has taken a toll on the German. I’d be astonished if this doesn’t end in a routine win for the flat-hitting Belgian.
Prediction: Van Uytvanck in 2
Alycia Parks vs Petra Martic
Head-to-head: first meeting
Alycia Parks was extremely unfortunate not to make the cut for this year’s Australian Open. Her rankings breakthrough didn’t come soon enough to warrant an automatic main draw spot. But she is looking to make amends in Lyon. Parks made some massive gains last season, winning back-to-back titles at 125K level in Andorra and Angers respectively. She has won 14 of her last 16 matches on indoor hard courts. The American’s first serve is a huge weapon as is her ability to sweep away short balls. Martic’s topsy-turvy start to the season could take another turn for the worse.
Prediction: Parks in 3
Linda Noskova vs Mayar Sherif
Head-to-head: Sherif 1-0 Noskova
The rising tide of Czech talent has injected a new lease of life into the Top 100 of women’s tennis. Noskova has been ruthless in getting to the Round of 16, coming through qualifying without dropping a set and outplaying the out-of-form Garbine Muguruza on Monday. She is only 18 and a greenhorn at this level, but is touted as a potential Grand Slam winner. Sherif has punctured the top 50 and is another player rising steadily in the rankings. It’s quite remarkable that the Egyptian hasn’t played indoors prior to this week and greatly benefitted from Ana Konjuh’s injury to reach the second round. Noskova should have this match right on her racket.
Prediction: Noskova in 2
Camila Osorio vs Jule Niemeier
Head-to-head: Niemeier 1-0 Osorio
It was imperative that Niemier was finally able to get on the board, scoring her first win of the season by beating Olga Danilovic in three sets on Monday. She put a stop to that mini-slump after going 0-4 Down Under. Osorio authored a stunning upset on day one, beating third seed Alize Cornet in three sets too. The Colombian star produced some deft touches to take Cornet out of her comfort zone, a tactic that could pay off handsomely if she can replicate it against the big-hitting German. Osorio lost to Niemeier in their only meeting before this at the W25 Daytona Beach ITF almost four years ago. It was on clay on Osorio’s favorite surface. So the German should be the heavy favorite in these fast conditions in Lyon.
Prediction: Niemeier in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
