Elise Mertens is a very popular player in Hobart, owing to her 2017 and 2018 titles at the WTA 250, and the final she lost to Emma Navarro last year. Now the Belgian is hoping for another good run at this venue as she’s kicking off the new season. Coming up against her will be Nuria Parrizas-Diaz. Who do you think will prevail?
WTA Hobart Day 2 Predictions
Sloane Stephens vs Ann Li
Head-to-head: 1-1
They faced each other just nine days ago in Auckland with Ann Li claiming the win in three sets. It’s not a given she’ll do it again, particularly with how mercurial Sloane Stephens is despite her amazing resume. But considering Li has started the season pretty well and has also qualified for this event with two good wins since, it’s tough not to give her a slight edge again. It could all change quite quickly though if Stephens delivers a better performance.
Prediction: Li in 3
Dayana Yastremska vs Katie Volynets
Head-to-head: Volynets 1-0
Dayana Yastremska will be defending half her ranking points at the Australian Open as she wasn’t able to follow up that semifinal run. Instead, she’s back to being extremely erratic and even when she tried to get a bit of a head start on the 2025 season in Limoges in December, her level was quite poor. Most matches are still on her racket, but she’s so hit or miss at the moment that it doesn’t feel like she’s the favorite to beat an in-form, but less powerful player like Katie Volynets.
Prediction: Volynets in 3
Lulu Sun vs Sofia Kenin
Head-to-head: First meeting
Lulu Sun made headlines at Wimbledon and then also had that final run in Monterrey, but started struggling with her health and has only played two matches since the US Open. One of them was a three-set loss to Rebecca Marino that showed the 23-year-old is a bit rusty at the moment. Maybe Sofia Kenin can take advantage. It’s still early days of the season so we’re only guessing, but the American had a horrible win rate in 2024 while still showing a high peak level on the day. Could this be when she finds her consistency again?
Prediction: Kenin in 2
Varvara Gracheva vs Magda Linette
Head-to-head: Linette 2-1
These two had a couple of good battles two years ago and it’s actually Varvara Gracheva who took their only hard-court meeting in Austin. They’re clearly more or less evenly matched and it’s tough to talk about the form of either player–Magda Linette has only had the one loss to McCartney Kessler last week, while Gracheva is just kicking off her season. But of the two it’s probably the Russian who has lost a bit more punch since their most recent meetings and it seems like Linette is confidently the better player at the moment.
Prediction: Linette in 2
Nuria Parrizas-Diaz vs Elise Mertens
Head-to-head: First meeting
Elise Mertens finished her 2024 campaign injured and will be hoping for a better restart this season. The Belgian usually performs extremely well in Hobart, picking up two titles (2017, 2018) and making the final last year. While Nuria Parrizas-Diaz is in solid match rhythm after playing six times in 2025 already, the two hard-fought battles she had in the qualifying won’t necessarily have to help her. And after all, Mertens has all the tools needed to handle her aggressive game.
Prediction: Mertens in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
