Day 2 at the WTA Rabat in Morocco features eight first-round matches. Defending champion Martina Trevisan kicks off her campaign against unseeded Spaniard Nuria Parrizas Diaz. We split the other four matches in a second article featuring Sloane Stephens vs Vera Zvonareva. Who do you think will advance?
WTA Rabat Day 2 Predictions
Kristina Mladenovic vs Julia Riera
Head-to-head: first meeting
Julia Riera has played clay-court tennis all season and won the Guayaquil double-header in Ecuador on the ITF circuit last month. While the field is comparatively weaker from Tour level, Riera will face an opponent who has fallen down the pecking order from the upper echelons. Mladenovic primarily features in ITF tournaments these days and last tasted success on Tour a year ago. It’s well within the Frenchwoman’s limits she could come alive here, but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if she lost to the upstart.
Prediction: Mladenovic in 3
Sada Nahimana vs Jana Fett
Head-to-head: first meeting
It’s a historic landmark in the young career of Sada Nahimana, who is set to become the first Burundian to appear in a WTA main draw. And fittingly, in the only WTA tournament held on the African continent. Last month, Nahimana masterminded an upset win against former world #23 Mona Barthel in the Oeiras W60 ITF tournament. Still, Jana Fett comes in with a far greater experience at the top level even though she is a shadow of her former self. The Croat should survive, but be on the lookout for Nahimana in years to come.
Prediction: Fett in 3
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Panna Udvardy vs Peyton Stearns
Head-to-head: first meeting
Panna Udvardy has shaken off the foot injury she picked up in Merida which sidelined her for almost three months. She has played in two ITF tournaments since her return but lost in the first round at both events. Peyton Stearns, meanwhile, has enjoyed a fantastic climb in the past two months, reaching her first career final in Bogota and winning two ITF titles. The American is playing with greater authority from the baseline and Udvardy’s lack of match play will count against her here.
Prediction: Stearns in 2
Martina Trevisan vs Nuria Parrizas-Diaz
Head-to-head: first meeting
After Maria Sakkari pulled out at the 11th hour, Martina Trevisan is now the top seed in Rabat. Trevisan captured her first WTA title on these courts last year and went on to attain a semifinal finish at the French Open. Her ability to create sharp angles and change patterns of play with the use topspin makes her a formidable opponent on this surface. It’s the toughest first round she could have asked for. Parrias Diaz loves the grind but she has modest weapons at her disposal. The defending champion is primed to reach the second round.
Prediction: Trevisan in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
