WTA Abu Dhabi Open kicks off on day with some enticing first round matches. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, as well as day one in action in Cluj, Marseille, Dallas and Cordoba. But who will secure their spot in the second round in the UAE?
WTA Abu Dhabi Day 1 Predictions
Caroline Garcia vs Sorana Cirstea
Head-to-head: Garcia 2-2 Cirstea
Caroline Garcia and Sorana Cirstea have met four times on tour with the Frenchwomen taking their first two meetings, before the Romanian hit back to win their two most recent matches which came last season in Miami and Indian Wells. Both times Garcia was seeded and Cirstea was not. Early losses for both at the Australian Open do not represent a great start to the season, but Cirstea should be the favourite given the recent trend in the rivalry and the fact she will be playing on home turf.
Prediction: Cirstea in 2
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Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Wang Xiyu
Head-to-head: first meeting
The Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia is seeded and Chinese Wang Xiyu will be looking to upset the odds here. Wang suffered early exits at both the Australian Open and then in Hua Hin, whilst Haddad Maia got to the third round in Australia before getting knocked out. The Brazilian was seeded in Australia but was unable to capitalise on that. Still, she should have the edge here.
Prediction: Haddad Maia in 3
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Daria Kasatkina vs Diane Parry
Head-to-head: Kasatkina 1-0 Parry
The only previous meeting between this pair was back in 2022 in Granby. Daria Kasatkina was the top seed in Canada and totally dominated the inexperienced Parry. The Frenchwoman has improved in the interim, and actually progressed further than Kasatkina at the Australian Open, with the Russian only making the second round. Parry also looked very sharp in the qualifying, but it will not be easy to beat the Russian.
Prediction: Kasatkina in 2
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Bernarda Pera vs Ashlyn Krueger
Head-to-head: first meeting
There is not much between the two Americans in the world rankings and both played well to make the main draw having started their week in the qualifying. Ashlyn Krueger, as the slightly higher ranked player was the top seed in qualifying, but it was Pera who played the better tennis and didn’t drop a set in reaching to the main draw. This should be a very good match between the Americans, but in this matchup the conditions might just favour Krueger.
Prediction: Krueger in 3
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Emma Raducanu vs Marie Bouzkova
Head-to-head: first meeting
The Czech player is the higher ranked on paper, but the Briton is a former-Grand Slam champion and, if not for missing large swathes of the last two seasons due to surgery and injury, would surely be higher in the rankings. Marie Bouzkova was seeded at the Australian Open and lost in the first round, a disappointing showing for a player of her quality, whereas Emma Raducanu showed some encouraging signs of progress in making the second round. Raducanu has been slowly regaining form and will want a good start here.
Prediction: Raducanu in 3
Main photo credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
