It promises to be a great Day 1 at the WTA Iasi Open. Five matches are scheduled in total. The top two seeds, Mirra Andreeva and 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria, are both in action. As always, we at LWOT give our predictions for all the contests. But which players do you expect to prevail?
WTA Iasi Day 1 Predictions
Elena-Gabriela Ruse vs Anastasia Tikhonova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Ruse plays her best tennis on clay, although she has not found the high level she is capable of for a while. But the home favourite should still be too good for Tikhonova, who has never qualified for a Grand Slam and usually produces her best on hard courts. This is the ideal draw for Ruse to gain some confidence for a potentially good run on home soil.
Prediction: Ruse in 2
Marina Bassols Ribera vs Irina Bara
Head-to-head: First meeting
This is a great opportunity for two players ranked outside the Top 100 to get a WTA main draw win. Bara has more achievements in her career to date, but she has generally not been near her prime for a while. It is a tough one to call, but Bara having a home crowd behind her might give her the slightest of edges.
Prediction: Bara in 3
Anna Blinkova vs Olga Danilovic
Head-to-head: Danilovic 1-0 Blinkova
It has been over six months since Anna Blinkova created headlines for winning an extraordinary tiebreak against Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open. However, her performances since then have mostly been below what she is capable of. Danilovic, who reached the fourth round of the French Open this year, had a disappointing loss to Anna Bondar in the opening round in Budapest last week. Yet, I like her chances of hitting through Blinkova with her powerful forehand.
Prediction: Danilovic in 3
Tatjana Maria vs Miriam Bulgaru
Head-to-head: First meeting
Maria is in desperate need of a good run for her own belief. The 37-year-old’s form has slumped, with her latest disappointment coming in Palermo, where she lost the last two sets 1-6 against Maria Lourdes Carle. Bulgaru is ranked outside the Top 200 and she represents a good opportunity for the German to get a much-needed victory. Her experience means she will be able to handle a home crowd supporting the Romanian.
Prediction: Maria in 2
Mirra Andreeva vs Noma Noha Akugue
Head-to-head: First meeting
This is a tricky draw for Andreeva, who will be playing her first match since losing in the opening round at Wimbledon. Akugue pushed the 2023 French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova to three sets in Palermo last week. The young German was also the runner-up in Hamburg last year, which came during the post-Wimbledon clay court swing. Andreeva’s more complete game still makes her the favorite, but an upset is not out of the question here.
Prediction: Andreeva in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
