The Round of 16 matches get underway on Day 3 of the WTA Birmingham Classic. 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens and former runner-up at Flushing Meadows Leylah Fernandez are among the players in action. As always, we at LWOT give our predictions and analysis for all the matches. But which players do you think will progress to the quarterfinals?
WTA Birmingham Day 3 Predictions
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Zhu Lin
Head-to-head: Tomljanovic 2-0 Zhu
Tomljanovic was very impressive in the previous round against Anna Blinkova, dropping just three games on her way to victory. The Australian’s form has been mixed since returning a few months ago from a long injury. However, the two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist plays her best tennis on grass. Although Zhu defeated Sorana Cirstea in the first-round, her Romanian opponent was far below her best. In general, Zhu struggles outside of hard courts, giving Tomljanovic’s consistent game the edge.
Prediction: Tomljanovic in 2
Leylah Fernandez vs Viktorija Golubic
Head-to-head: Fernandez 1-0 Golubic
Fernandez swept aside Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-1 6-1 in her first match in Birmingham, while Golubic came through a much tougher battle against the gritty Camila Osorio. Golubic is a very good player on grass, evidenced by her 2021 quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon. Fernandez will undoubtedly need to play well to progress. What may give the Canadian the edge is targeting Golubic’s elegant but more vulnerable one-handed backhand. Fernandez is capable of flattening out her shots and that could rush Golubic into making enough errors to give the 21-year-old the victory.
Prediction: Fernandez in 3
Anastasia Potapova vs Lucia Bronzetti
Head-to-head: Potapova 3-0 Bronzetti
Potapova beat her compatriot Elina Avanesyan in the last round, while Bronzetti came from a set down to triumph against Magdalena Frech. Bronzetti has struggled to effectively bring her powerful forehand into play in her previous meetings with Potapova, although this will be their first match on grass. Nonetheless, Potapova is still backed to progress. Her playing style is capable of stifling Bronzetti on all surfaces, which should lead to her fourth consecutive win against the Italian.
Prediction: Potapova in 2
Sloane Stephens vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Head-to-head: Stephens 1-0 Cocciaretto
Stephens does not usually play warmup events for Wimbledon. She may have wanted to experience that winning feeling again after surprisingly suffering five consecutive losses to end her clay-court season. The American faces a stiff challenge against Cocciaretto, who knocked out the #1 seed and defending champion Jelena Ostapenko in the previous round. Despite this, Stephens is given a slight edge in this matchup. The 31-year-old is capable of mixing up her paces and spins and playing patiently, even on grass. Cocciaretto, as she showed against the ultra-aggressive Ostapenko, thrives most when given a consistent pace from her opponent, making this matchup a potentially awkward one for her.
Prediction: Stephens in 3
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
