Day 1 of the WTA Montreal Masters contained some quality tennis despite the untimely rain delays that occurred. The good news for tennis fans is that the lineup for the second day is even better than the first. US Open semifinalist Caroline Garcia and Wimbledon semifinalist Elina Svitolina are two of the players in action. We at LWOT have predictions for the other Day 2 matches as well, including Caroline Wozniacki vs Kimberly Birrell. Which players do you think will win?
WTA Montreal Day 2 Predictions
Anna Blinkova vs Shuai Zhang
Head-to-head: Zhang 2-1 Blinkova
Zhang is undoubtedly one of the most likable women on the WTA tour. But she is having a truly terrible run of form, racking up several first round losses in succession. The Chinese player can take encouragement from two factors. Firstly Blinkova has only played once since Wimbledon, and that was a surprise loss as the first seed in qualifying in Washington. Secondly she leads the head-to-head against Blinkova. Unfortunately the conditions in Montreal might suit Blinkova slightly more, and it is doubtful this is where Zhang’s slump will end.
Prediction: Zhang in 2
Liudmila Samsonova vs Katerina Siniakova
Head-t0-head: Siniakova 1-0 Samsonova
Samsonova had a good week in Washington. She was unable to defend her title, but should still be feeling good after a run to the semifinals. By contrast Siniakova lost in the opening round in Warsaw in her only match since Wimbledon. However the Czech player did beat Samsonova only a few weeks ago during her run to the title at the BAD Homburg Open, where she did a phenomenal job returning her serve. However Samsonova is likely to get her revenge here. She is most comfortable on hard courts, and the conditions in Montreal are an ideal balance for her between helping her serve and allowing her to be well positioned to hit big with her goundstrokes.
Prediction: Samsonova in 3
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Elina Svitolina vs Danielle Collins
Head-to-head: Collins 1-0 Svitolina
It is impossible to give Svitolina too much credit for what she has achieved in the last few months. After being away on maternity leave, the Wimbledon semifinalist’s level of tennis has been simply stunning. She played well last week in Washington as well, only being narrowly stopped in the quarterfinals by Jessica Pegula. Can Collins stop her? It is not impossible. The 29-year-old has a very capable game. But she did not offer much encouragement in the four games she won in her first round loss Washington last week. Svitolina is too good for most players currently, and that is likely to continue in this one.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Caroline Garcia vs Marie Bouzkova
Head-to-head: Bouzkova 3-0 Garcia
Garcia has been having a very inconsistent year, and she suffered a tame straight sets loss in her opening match in Washington last week. It has felt like she is due a good run for a while now, but it is still yet to happen. The Frenchwoman losing to Bouzkova just a few weeks ago at Wimbledon will not help her confidence. However Bouzkova did suffer a surprise defeat herself in Prague last week as the #1 seed. Garcia if she can find her game has a style perfectly suited to North American hard courts as she proved last year. At her best she beats Bouzlova on this surface, but nothing is a guarantee with Garcia this season.
Prediction: Garcia in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
