Will the top seed of the 2023 WTA Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch be in trouble on Day 1 of the event? She could be as Alison Riske-Amritraj is an extremely accomplished grass-courter. But she also hasn’t won a match since January, which makes her clash with Veronika Kudermetova quite unpredictable. Who do you think will prevail in this fantastic battle lined-up for the first day of main draw action? We also look at the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.
WTA Hertogenbosch Day 1 Predictions
Dalma Galfi vs Emina Bektas
Head-to-head: First meeting
Dalma Galfi was pretty amazing in her Ilkley title campaign last year, but can she repeat these sort of results on grass this year? Her recent events don’t seem to suggest so. Meanwhile, Emina Bektas is having a breakthrough season on the ITF Tour and recently won an event on the lawn in Fukuoka. Along with the momentum she gathered here in the qualifying, she probably deserves a slight nod over the more talented Hungarian right now.
Prediction: Bektas in 3
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Ysaline Bonaventure vs Carol Zhao
Head-to-head: First meeting
Carol Zhao managed to get just two games off Katie Swan in Surbiton last week, but her qualifying campaign here was extremely clean. Perhaps she can trouble Ysaline Bonaventure as well, although the Belgian has historically been a very solid player on the surface. The 28-year-old has a big game and usually performs in faster conditions, which should give her the ability to overwhelm Zhao with her early timing here.
Prediction: Bonaventure in 3
Veronika Kudermetova vs Alison Riske-Amritraj
Head-to-head: Riske-Amritraj 2-1
Two proper grass-court players are meeting here and that’s best reflected in the fact that they’ve already met twice on this surface, despite it only being a small part of the season. Alison Riske-Amritraj won this event in 2019, while Veronika Kudermetova has never lost past the quarterfinals. With the American winless since January picking her for the upset seems a little too optimistic, but she loves these courts and should make it interesting.
Prediction: Kudermetova in 3
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
