The opening day of the WTA San Diego Open continued for later than expected due to some stoppages for rain. The quality of the tennis lived up to expectations when play did take place, however. Day 2 is likely to be even better, with six excellent first round matches scheduled. Three of those are predicted here, with French Open semifinalist Beatriz Haddad Maia one of those in action. We at LWOT have a separate article for the other three matches–including Sofia Kenin vs Veronika Kudermetova.
WTA San Diego Day 2 Predictions
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Jelena Ostapenko
Head-to-head: Alexandrova 5-2 Ostapenko
Ostapenko is likely to be feeling confident after her quarterfinal run at the US Open. This is despite a poor performance in the quarterfinal against eventual champion Coco Gauff. But Alexandrova has the edge here. She has won their previous two meetings on an outdoor hard court, and her style is a bad matchup for Ostapenko. That is because the Latvian thrives when she takes time away from her opponent, but Alexandrova is a player who prefers to have pace on the ball. That partly explains some of her past good results on American hard courts.
Prediction: Alexandrova in 2
Danielle Collins vs Louisa Chirico
Head-to-head: First meeting
It felt like Collins missed a big opportunity at the US Open. Her level had looked so promising before the final Grand Slam of the year. But her familiar problem of being consistent came back to haunt her in a tight loss to Elise Mertens. it prevented what would have been a potentially thrilling contest with Coco Gauff. I think it is only a mental hangover that can stop the 2022 Australian Open runner-up. Chirico is ranked outside the Top 200, and is also past her prime. Nothing is impossible in tennis. However, it would take a major drop in level for an upset to happen. Collins to respond with a comfortable win at the WTA San Diego Open.
Prediction: Collins in 2
[cta id=4014 type=cta]
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Leylah Fernandez
Predictions: Fernandez 2-1 Haddad Maia
Fernandez is still not near the level that saw her reach the final of the US Open two years ago. But she was quite unlucky to lose in the opening round of Flushing Meadows this season. The Canadian lost a long battle to Ekaterina Alexandrova despite a strong performance. Haddad Maid was similarly unfortunate to face an inspired Taylor Townsend in the second round in New York. Fernandez gets a very slight edge here. There will undoubtedly be many long rallies between two of the biggest fighters on the WTA Tour. Fernandez’s counterpunching and preference for hard courts to get her over the line at the WTA San Diego Open.
Prediction: Fernandez in 2
Main Photo Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
