Coco Gauff won her second WTA 1000 title at the China Open, but the action does not stop there. The WTA Wuhan Open immediately begins, and 12 matches are scheduled for Day 1. We at LWOT predict four of those contests here and split the others between two articles, including Donna Vekic vs Elise Mertens and Madison Keys vs Beatriz Haddad Maia. But which players do you think will win on the opening day?
WTA Wuhan Day 1 Predictions
Katie Volynets vs Anastasia Potapova
Head-to-head: Volynets 1-0 Potapova
Volynets recovered from a dip in form since the North American hardcourt season by shocking Marta Kostyuk at the China Open. Her match against Potapova promises to be grueling, with many rallies, since both women are great athletes who lack firepower. Volynets is strong mentally and has a great attitude, and that might give her the edge if the match becomes long.
Prediction: Volynets in 3
Katerina Siniakova vs Alexandra Eala
Head-to-head: First meeting
Siniakova hopes to bounce back from a heavy loss to Yuliia Starodubtseva in Beijing last week. On paper, the Czech has been given a great opportunity to put that defeat behind her. Eala is outside the Top 100 and in the draw as a wild card. The 19-year-old is very talented and undoubtedly has a future in tennis, but overcoming Siniakova might be a step too far at this stage of her career.
Prediction: Siniakova in 2
Anna Kalinskaya vs Anna Bondar
Head-to-head: Kalinskaya 1-1 Bondar
Kalinskaya has not been at her best since losing the Berlin Open final to Jessica Pegula in June. However, she has still won all her opening round matches during that period. The 25-year-old’s last first-round loss was in May in Strasbourg. Bondar defeated Kalinskaya in 2021, but she is a very different player and will likely have too much firepower for the Hungarian.
Prediction: Kalinskaya in 2
Leylah Fernandez vs Diana Shnaider
Head-to-head: Fernandez 1-0 Shnaider
Fernandez comprehensively defeated Shnaider in the Cincinnati Open round of 16 in August. But the 2021 US Open runner-up has lost four consecutive matches since. Shnaider seemed shocked by how early Fernandez took the ball in their last meeting, probably expecting the Candian to try and counterpunch. The 20-year-old should be better prepared this time, and Fernandez may not be as formidable on this occasion after her recent form.
Prediction: Shnaider in 2
Main Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
