While most eyes are on the WTA 1000 in Dubai, the WTA 250 in Merida still managed to attract some intriguing players. The young talent Alycia Parks, slam champion Sloane Stephens, and Magda Linette coming off of a semifinal in Melbourne are still all competing for the title in Mexico. As always, we here at LWOT will preview and predict every match. Who do you think will win?
WTA Merida Day 4 Predictions
Magda Linette vs Panna Udvardy
Head-to-head: first meeting
Linette is playing her first tournament since her career-best run at the Australian Open, notching wins over Caroline Garcia, Karolina Pliskova, and Anett Kontaveit en route to a semifinal. In her Merida opener, the Pole came back from a set down to defeat Maria Camila Osorio Serrano. 24-year-old No. 91 Panna Udvardy beat Jule Niemeier in the first round, the Hungarian’s first main tour win on hard courts of her career. This is a great draw for Linette and she should take advantage.
Prediction: Linette in 2
Sloane Stephens vs Varvara Gracheva
Head-to-head: Gracheva 1-0 Stephens
In a fun statistical quirk, Gracheva has now managed to make back-to-back second rounds as a lucky loser in her last two tournaments. The Russian defeated Emiliana Arango but lost to Kimberly Birrell in qualifying, coming back from a set down against Tatjana Maria in the main draw. Sloane Stephens got her first win of the season in Merida, dropping just four games to Leolie Jeanjean. The 29-year-old had the best moments of 2022 in Mexico, winning the title in Guadalajara in February and reaching the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 there in October. With what she showed in the first round, this is another good chance for Stephens to bank some points.
Prediction: Stephens in 2
Katerina Siniakova vs Ysaline Bonaventure
Head-to-head: Siniakova 1-1 Bonaventure
Siniakova has had a mediocre 2023 so far, 3-3 in finished matches and getting two additional wins through retirement, including her Merida opener which her opponent Lesia Tsurenko could not finish. Bonaventure had a great run to the semifinals out of qualifying in Auckland to start the year but the Belgian was 2-5 since coming into this week. The 28-year-old came back from a set down against Simona Waltert, not a particularly confidence-inducing performance. I see Siniakova as the favorite here.
Prediction: Siniakova in 2
Alycia Parks vs Rebecca Peterson
Head-to-head: Parks 1-0 Peterson
A rematch of a WTA 125 final in Andorra last December, where Parks dropped just five games. The 22-year-old has had a brilliant rise over the past four months, starting with her Ostrava run where she beat Karolina Pliskova and Maria Sakkari back-to-back. Parks, a threat especially on indoor hard, has continued her form into 2023, winning her first WTA 250 title in Lyon, beating Caroline Garcia in the final. Her Merida opener was a battle though, beating Fernanda Contreras Gomez 7-6 3-6 7-5. Peterson has also found some success this year already, albeit on a lower level. The Swede is 7-3 on the year, beating Sabine Lisicki to reach the final of an ITF 60 in Orland. In Merida, Peterson qualified past Diane Parry and Carol Zhao before she beat Nadia Podoroska in the main draw. This should be an interesting match but I see Parks coming out on top.
Prediction: Parks in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
