The final week of WTA Tournaments begins in Monterrey and Cleveland on Monday. Six matches are scheduled for the opening day in Monterrey. Former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Ajla Tomljanovic is among the players set to compete on Day 1 in Mexico. We at LWOT predict all the action here and in a separate article, including Elisabetta Cocciaretto vs Elina Avanesyan. But which players do you think will win?
WTA Monterrey Day 1 Predictions
Veronika Kudermetova vs Maria Lourdes Carle
Head-to-head: Carle 1-0 Kudermetova
This will be Kudermetova’s first match since Wimbledon. She has endured a challenging year so far, including a defeat to Carle at the Mutua Madrid Open in April. The former world No. 9’s year could be in crisis if she loses to the Argentine on the hardcourts in Monterrey. Carle plays her best tennis on clay, while Kudermetova’s game is most dangerous at its best on hardcourts. She should have enough against Carle this time, even if her game is not flowing perfectly.
Prediction: Kudermetova in 2
Lina Glushko vs Kateryna Volodko
Head-to-head: Glushko 1-1 Volodko
This is an excellent opportunity for both players to get a main draw victory at a WTA 500 tournament. 24-year-old Glushko has never qualified at a Grand Slam or WTA 1000 tournament. By contrast, 38-year-old Volodko is a former US Open quarterfinalist, but she is nowhere close to that level anymore. Glushko looked slightly more convincing in her two qualifying matches in Monterrey. She’s in the main draw as a lucky loser, but that momentum may give her a slight advantage in what is likely to be a close battle.
Prediction: Glushko in 3
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Camila Osorio
Head-to-head: First meeting
Osorio did not play in Toronto or Cincinnati, and this event is her first since the Olympics, where she defeated the 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and Dayana Yastremska. Tomljanovic lost a very close first-round loss to Varvara Gracheva in Cincinnati last week. Osorio is always a fiercely determined competitor who is tough to defeat. However, the Colombian usually produces her best tennis on clay, and Tomljanovic’s flat ball striking is a difficult matchup for her on a hard court.
Prediction: Tomljanovic in 2
Main Photo Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
