With 20 intrigung first-round matches on the slate, the first day of the 2023 French Open promises plenty of exciting action. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule, including Magda Linette vs Leylah Fernandez, Jessica Pegula vs Danielle Collins, Maria Sakkari vs Karolina Muchova and Daria Kasatkina vs Jule Niemeier. But who will reach the second round in Paris?
French Open Day 1 Predictions
Panna Udvardy vs Iryna Shymanovich
Jim: It has been a fairly miserable season for Panna Udvardy. The Hungarian has won just three matches all year with the shift from hard courts to the clay doing her few favours. Iryna Shymanovich, meanwhile, impressed in coming through the qualifying. This looks like a very winnable match for the Belarusian.
Prediction: Shymanovich in 2
Damian: Udvardy has just three wins for the year and none of them on clay, making her a very vulnerable target. Shymanovich will have a lot of momentum after playing through the qualifying and the match rhythm on these two is just incomparable with the Belarusian constantly going deep in ITF events this year.
Predicton: Shymanovich in 3
Jack: There are elements of passivity in the Shymanovich game. Udvardy’s similarly steady but slightly heavier clay court game only just makes her the favourite—it’ll be close but Udvardy is more tried and tested on clay at WTA level.
Prediction: Udvardy in 3
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Kamila Rakhimova vs Sara Bejlek
Jim: Sara Bejlek looked very sharp in coming through the qualifying. The challenge for the Czech now is to back that up in the main draw. She has been given a testing first-round draw, but it is not an unwinnable match. If she can maintain the level she showed in the qualfying, expect her to have the edge here.
Prediction: Bejlek in 3
Damian: Bejlek making it through the qualifying at the age of 17 is really impressive, but it remains to be seen whether her defense-oriented playstyle can hold up against top-quality opposition. Is a match against Rakhimova the one when we’ll find out? Maybe, it certainly looks pretty tight.
Prediction: Bejlek in 3
Jack: Bejlek has been somewhat overshadowed by the Fruhvirtova sisters and Andreeva but watch out—she is a dangerous emerging talent. She has a ferociously heavy lefty game that should make her incredibly formidable on this surface. Though Rakhimova should be able to keep up with the pace of her opponent’s ball, the unknown limit to Bejlek’s game makes her the slight favourite.
Prediction: Bejlek in 3
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Zhang Shuai vs Magdalena Frech
Jim: There can surely only be one winner here. Magdalena Frech may not be in the form of her life, but she at least been winning some matches. The same can’t be said of Zhang Shuai.
Damian: Zhang hasn’t won a match since February and was double bagelled by Anna-Lena Friedsam in her most recent showing. Keep in mind that she’s a pretty flat ball-striker and she’s never been that effective on clay either. All in all, this looks like a great opportunity for Frech.
Prediction: Frech in 2
Jack: Zhang’s confidence will be incredibly low. She topped off a seven-match losing streak with a double bagel loss to Friedsam last week in Strasbourg. Frech has the ability to put the pressure consistently on her wary opponent.
Prediction: Frech in 2
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Aryna Sabalenka vs Marta Kostyuk
Jim: This isn’t the easiest first-round draw Aryna Sabalenka could have been handed. But the Belarusian has been playing so well this season that it’s hard to see her being beaten here.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Damian: This should be a matchup with the pretty open hostility that Kostyuk has presented towards Russian and Belarusian players, but also because of just how talented the Ukrainian is. She’s always lurking and looking for a breakthrough win. This would be quite a moment to get it and it looks likely that she could threaten Sabalenka at least a bit.
Predicton: Sabalenka in 3
Jack: Kostyuk’s played 13 matches against top 10 opposition and she’s lost 13 matches against top 10 opposition. Sabalenka will almost certainly bring a top-10-worthy level into her first round at Roland Garros, her blip against Sofia Kenin in Rome seemingly due to exhaustion. Assuming Sabalenka is now well rested, there will likely be a distinct difference in level.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
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