The courts may be green, but we can confirm Charleston is the first stop for many WTA players during this year’s clay swing. Off the bat, we’ve got some very tough round of 64 match-ups including a clash between two Top 50 players in Danielle Collins and Shelby Rogers. As always at LWOT, we’ve tried to predict the outcomes of all the matches on Day 2.
WTA Charleston Day 2 Predictions
Varvara Gracheva vs Anna-Lena Friedsam
Head-to-head: Friedsam 2-1 Gracheva
Anna-Lena Friedsam isn’t somebody to be underestimated. She can pack a punch on serve and defeated world #31 Anhelina Kalinina as recently as February in Linz. More importantly, she defeated Varvara Gracheva in qualifying at the same tournament.
Since then though, Gracheva’s been on absolute tear, sustaining the best form of her life to come through qualifying to reach consecutive rounds of 16 during the Sunshine Double and reach the final of Austin. Hitters like Gracheva don’t need much momentum to keep finding their biggest tennis in tricky moments. Though the surface transition could play a part, conditions should just be quick enough off the surface for Gracheva to take advantage.
Prediction: Gracheva in 3.
Caty McNally vs Jule Niemeier
Head-to-head: First meeting
A quite perplexing dip in form has befallen Jule Niemeier. Out of nowhere, the German has lost five matches on the bounce and six of her previous eight before that. This included a 6-1 6-0 loss to Caroline Dolehide in Monterrey (though the altitude wouldn’t have been kind to Niemeier’s game). Should we be worried?
Not so much, particularly against Caty McNally. Niemeier thrives on the surface where McNally doesn’t, posting more than eight times the number of wins on the surface than the American. What she can’t do with her serve she makes up for in spades by using the time afforded by the surface to set up her booming forehand. This should be a good chance for Niemeier to get back on the horse.
Prediction: Niemeier in 2.
Alycia Parks vs Diana Shnaider
Head-to-head: First meeting
We haven’t seen Alycia Parks playing a whole lot on clay on the main tour but, if her recent performances on outdoor hard-courts are anything to go by, she’s almost certainly going to struggle when she meets a Top 50 opponent.
Though Shnaider isn’t in that ranking bracket, this could still pose some trouble. Parks hasn’t been getting into anywhere near as many return games as she would like recently. On paper, this looks like a good opportunity to get some of that return form back but there’s a high chance the lefty delivery and plus one punch from the Russian could actually cause a lot of problems. With the fact Parks’ serve will be a fraction underpowered in Charleston, this will probably be very uncomfortable.
Prediction: Shnaider in 2.
Danielle Collins vs Shelby Rogers
Head-to-head: Rogers 2-1 Collins
There are a few factors feeding into this one.
- Though it’s tempting to think Danielle Collins will hurt Shelby Rogers second-serve with her great returns, Rogers has historically had enough firepower on the first delivery to keep her compatriot at bay.
- One of Rogers’ wins over Collins was at Roland Garros in 2022, where the pace was markedly slower. She was still able to win free points off the serve.
- Finally, the most important factor to consider is Collins’ wavering confidence. Even when she’s been winning matches, she hasn’t found her best form since last year, an underlying injury possibly still causing problems.
Taking everything into account, we’re going with another Rogers win over Collins.
Prediction: Rogers in 3.
Main Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports
