It’s Day 2 of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open which will feature eight first-round matches of the highest quality. We have all those matches covered in our daily predictions with four of them in this article, with the rest in a separate piece. Who do you think will advance?
ATP Abu Dhabi Day 2 Predictions
Qinwen Zheng vs Rebecca Marino
Head-to-head: Zheng 2-0 Marino
Zheng is motoring up the WTA ladder although she hasn’t quite hit the ground running in 2023. Past glories don’t always translate to future success but I feel the time seems ripe for Zheng to produce a statement run. She must have looked at events in Lyon this past weekend and thought to herself she might actually be good enough to go the full distance.
Rebecca Marino will try and maximize her strengths–utilizing that big serve to sweep Zheng off the court and also test the Chinese’s movement given that this will be Zheng’s first match since the Australian Open. Zheng had actually picked up a thigh injury in Adelaide, which affected her preparations for the year’s first Grand Slam. But as long as she is fully recovered, she will find a way here.
Prediction: Zheng in 3
Paula Badosa vs Liudmila Samsonova
Head-to-head: Samsonova 2-0 Badosa
Badosa lost a cracker to Samsonova two years ago at the Australian Open. That was before Samsonova became a household name. The Russian sprung into life in the second half of last season, barreling to win titles in Washington and Cleveland. She had the second-best winning streak in 2022 with 13. While people are hypercritical of her no-show at the Australian Open (lost to Vekic 3-6 0-6), I will give her the benefit of the doubt. I expect some seriously quality hitting from both players in this one. Badosa hasn’t lost in 2023, but she has picked up some tense wins in the process. Expect Samsonova to deny the Spaniard again.
Prediction: Samsonova in 3
Jil Teichmann vs Dayana Yastremska
Head-to-head: Yastremska 2-0 Teichmann
Yastremksa isn’t doing herself any favors with her lack of adaptability. It doesn’t always take power to trump finesse. Last week she was sliced apart by Tatjana Maria’s silky slice-and-dice game. While Teichmann doesn’t quite possess Maria’s slice, she has a toolbox of shots with which she can hurt the Ukrainian. Another frustrating afternoon is in store for the qualifier.
Prediction: Teichmann in 3
Bianca Andreescu vs Yulia Putintseva
Head-to-head: Putintseva 1-0 Andreescu
Andreescu has shared positive news in light of the recent injury she picked up in Hua Hin. She struggled with what appeared to be a neck/shoulder injury against Lesia Tsurenko, but it was not as bad as initially thought. The Canadian’s run of results (defeats in particular) last season and the start of this season are a tad misleading. When you assess her overall performances, she ought to have won over half of those matches. Again, this is another match that hinges on Andreescu’s fitness. Yulia Putintseva is as fiery and volatile as they come. She had a very strong qualifying campaign in Abu Dhabi and if health continues to be a limiting factor for Andreescu, Putintseva will take advantage.
Prediction: Putintseva in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
