2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens came back impressively to win her opening match at the WTA Rouen Open. That sets up a blockbuster encounter with two-time Grand Slam runner-up Karolina Pliskova. That contest is one of four predicted in this article. Two of these are first-round matches, while the other pair are second-round battles. We at LWOT predict the rest of the day’s matches in Rouen in a separate article, including Naomi Osaka vs Martina Trevisan.
WTA Rouen Day 3 Predictions
Varvara Gracheva vs Viktoriya Tomova
Head-to-head: Gracheva 1-1 Tomova
This is one of the first-round contests. Gracheva broke a run of seven consecutive losses in her first clay court tournament of the season in Charleston. The Frenchwoman has usually thrived most on hard courts and struggled more on clay, making it an unorthodox start to the year for her. Tomova has been more naturally comfortable on the dirt during her career. Gracheva’s unpredictability makes this a difficult one to predict. A home crowd at the WTA Rouen Open will try to push her to victory, but Tomova’s groundstrokes on clay may just have the edge.
Prediction: Tomova in 3
Diane Parry vs Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Parry’s first WTA match of the season on her favourite surface is the final first-round contest to be completed. The 22-year-old showed her immense talent on clay at the Billie Jean King Cup last week. She demolished Katie Boulter 6-0 6-2, before narrowly losing a superb and thrilling match against Emma Raducanu. Schmiedlova generally plays her best tennis on the dirt. However, she is unlikely to overcome Parry. The Frenchwoman has enjoyed a very good start to the season, and she is likely to get even better during the clay court season.
Prediction: Parry in 2
Magda Linette vs Natalija Stefanovic
Head-to-head: Linette 1-0 Stefanovic
World No. 159 Stefnaovic managed a stunning 7-6 3-6 7-6 upset against Anna Blinkova in the last round. Linette is a different type of player from Blinkova, but another upset is not impossible. The Pole had been struggling before the clay court season but found some form in Charleston. This will come down to whether Stefanovic can match the 2023 Australian Open semifinalist’s consistency. It promises to be close, but Linette’s grit could just prove to be too tough for Stefanovic at the WTA Rouen Open.
Prediction: Linette in 3
Sloane Stephens vs Karolina Pliskova
Head-to-head: Stephens 5-1 Pliskova
This clash of styles should be very fun to watch. There are two keys to Stephens winning this match. Firstly, Pliskova regularly won free points on her powerful serve. Secondly, Pliskova moved in the rallies and exposed her inferior movement. Stephens has a game that is naturally suited to doing that with the angles and spin she uses to construct points, which explains her dominant record against the Czech. Pliskova’s big-hitting style can never be ruled out, but at her best, Stephens is capable of handling it to claim victory at the WTA Rouen Open.
Prediction: Stephens in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
