The grass season is a fickle time of the year. Wimbledon is just around the corner and players have precious little time to play themselves into form. The WTA tournament in Birmingham will therefore be very important to many of the players. Can anyone take advantage of the notoriously difficult surface? Will any top players fall by the wayside? We present our predictions for the third day of action in Birmingham. We’ve also published a separate article predicting the other four matches on the day.
Editor’s Note: Some of these matches are holdovers from a rainy Day 2, but we decided to have another writer give their thoughts on all of them.
WTA Birmingham Day 3 Predictions
Linda Fruhvirtova vs Bernarda Pera
Head-to-head: First meeting
On clay, Bernarda Pera is given the time to set up some sweetly struck returns. On grass, this style of play doesn’t work quite as well. She won’t be able to fully utilise her greatest weapon but she’ll still bring plenty of power into this match.
Linda Fruhvirtova should not be underestimated. Her serve has been scrutinised, perhaps unfairly, at the tender age of 16 but on grass courts, she should be a little better at covering it up. Her win against Elina Svitolina has inspired us with a lot of confidence, even if it’s not the Ukranian’s preferred surface. Ultimately, however, if it’s a question of who’s more likely to get some crucial breaks of serve, Pera seems the more equipped of the two to pull off the win.
Prediction: Pera in 3
Magda Linette vs Lin Zhu
Head-to-head: Zhu 1-0 Linette
Lin Zhu has caught everyone’s attention with her first-round win over Nottingham champion, Katie Boulter. The Chinese has proven front-foot tennis can be countered, even on the slick courts of Birmingham.
Magda Linette will be a tricky opponent for Zhu to break down but we really like her game in these conditions. Linette is likely too good an opponent to go down without taking a set but we think something’s stirring for Zhu at this tournament.
Prediction: Zhu in 3
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Anhelina Kalinina vs Harriet Dart
Head-to-head: Dart 1-0 Kalinina
We’ll say the same thing we said in Nottingham before Anhelina Kalinina lost to Harriet Dart.
“There is room to exploit Anhelina Kalinina’s game here. Her style isn’t entirely overwhelming and is most suited to the point constructive dynamics of clay. There shouldn’t be much to separate the two players in terms of level so, backed by the home crowd, we’re backing a win for Dart.”
Dart’s win in Nottingham was no fluke. She has the game to win this match again on her own terms, even if it takes her a little longer to get over the line this time.
Prediction: Dart in 3
Main Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
