The Australian Open is over after Jannik Sinner won his first Grand Slam with an incredible victory against Daniil Medvedev. However, the tennis does not stop. The WTA 250 event in Hua Hin has a strong lineup, and there are seven contest taking place on Day 1. Four of those are predicted here, including first seed Magda Linette’s opening match. We look at the rest in a separate article. But which players do you think will win?
WTA Hua Hin Day 1 Predictions
Nao Hibino vs Kamilla Rakhimova
Head-to-head: Hibino 1-0 Rakhimova
Hibino showed flashes of what she is capable of against Maria Sakkari in the Australian Open first round. She is not known for being particularly powerful, but the Japanese player hit some impressive shots in the first set, before being overwhelmed in the second. Rakhimova managed to make the second-round in Melbourne, but then lost out to Diane Parry. This promises to be a tight battle between two players who are close in the rankings. Rakhimova gets a slight edge in the WTA Hua Hin conditions, which may help her more powerful game.
Prediction: Rakhimova in 3
Laura Pigossi vs Viktorija Golubic
Head-to-head: First meeting
Golubic has made a much better start to the season than her opponent. She had very good wins against Veronika Kudermetova and Katerina Siniakova to reach the third-round of the Australian Open. By contrast, Pigossi was unable to qualify for the Australian Open and lost in the first-round of a Challenger Tour event before that. In addition, the Brazilian plays her best tennis on clay courts. Pigossi is a fighter who never gives up, but Golubic is very likely to progress in Hua Hin if she finds any of her good form from the Australian Open.
Prediction: Golubic in 2
Wang Qiang vs Wang Xiyu
Head-to-head: First meeting
Wang Qiang is returning to tennis after quite a long time away from the sport. She was a formidable player at her best and peaked at No. 13 in the WTA rankings. Yet, this does feel like a big task for her. Wang Xiyu lost a very close contest to Emma Navarro in the opening round of the Australian Open. However, she has been making positive progress over the last 12 months and hits powerfully from the baseline. I think that style is one that Wang Qiang will struggle to cope with at this very early stage in her comeback.
Prediction: Wang Xiyu in 3
Magda Linette vs Diana Shnaider
Head-to-head: First meeting
19-year-old Shnaider is a huge talent that is likely to achieve many great things in tennis, but she has started the new season slowly. It is good to see Linette back playing immediately after the Australian Open. The Pole had to retire from her contest in Melbourne with Caroline Wozniacki, but it clearly was not too serious. Shnaider’s clean hitting can be a threat when she finds her range, but I am backing Linette to prevail in Hua Hin. Her consistency from the baseline should extract enough errors from Shnaider’s racket to claim victory.
Prediction: Linette in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
