After top seed Iga Swiatek survived a scare on Day 2 of the WTA 250 in Bad Homburg, all eyes turn to some of the underdogs as they look to dethrone the top seed this week. The first four second-round matches will take place on Tuesday, with all remaining second-round matchups taking place Wednesday.
WTA Bad Homburg Day 3 Predictions
Alize Cornet vs Emma Navarro
Head-to-head: First meeting
Cornet is frequently looked upon as the “giant-killer”, but it’ll be interesting to see whether she can play her A-game as the heavy favorite. While Cornet stunned Maria Sakkari in Nottingham, she disappointingly lost in the semifinals to Jodie Burrage; such seemed to be a great opportunity for Cornet to pick up a WTA-250title. Navarro is no easy task either, but she lacks experience on the grass compared to hard courts. Cornet should win straightforwardly if she can play a solid and smart match.
Prediction: Cornet in 2
Sara Errani vs Varvara Gracheva
Head-to-head: First meeting
As to be expected with her defensive and often weak game, Errani’s game hardly translates to grass. The Italian did pick up a straightforward win in her first-round match over Zanevska, but Gracheva is a far more dangerous player with her offensive game. As long as Gracheva holds up with her serve, she should move into the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Gracheva in 2
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Linda Noskova vs Liudmila Samsonova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Another interesting matchup, featuring two players that haven’t been able to take a big step in their respective careers. Samsonova hasn’t had a great grass court season, dealing with an injury along the way as well. On the other hand, Noskova has been slowly working up the rankings but needs extra mental strength to push into the Top 40. As a seed, Samsonova should be the favorite with her experience on the grass courts, but it could be a close battle if inconsistency woes continue for either player.
Prediction: Samsonova in 3
Bianca Andreescu vs Rebeka Masarova
Head-to-head: First meeting
It was good to see Andreescu pick up a win in Round 1, but her 7-5 in the third win over Sonya Kartal was anything but pretty. She’ll have to pick up her form against Masarova, a player seemingly raising her game every week. Judging by Andreescu’s disappointing matches in her last two tournaments, she’s unfortunately not playing Top 50 caliber tennis at the moment. If the Canadian can stay consistent, she should be the favorite, but lapses of energy dropoffs have hurt her ability to close out games and sets. With Masarova’s improving form, she should edge this one out.
Prediction: Masarova in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
