The first tournament of the Middle Eastern swing on the WTA Tour gets underway on Monday at the WTA Abu Dhabi Open. Five matches will be played on what promises to be an entertaining day of tennis, and we here at LWOT are offering our predictions for all of them in this article as well as the WTA action in Cluj-Napoca and the ATP Rotterdam Open. But who do you expect to progress to the next round?
WTA Abu Dhabi Day 1 Predictions
Yuan Yue vs Sonobe Wakana
Head-to-head: first meeting
Sonobe Wakana is ranked outside the top 800, but that does not reflect how challenging this match will be. The teenager easily won her two qualifying matches, including a triumph against Cristina Bucsa, who beat former US Open champion Emma Raducanu last week. Yuan Yue’s favorite surface is hard courts, but she might find it hard to beat Wakana if she reaches the level of the Abu Dhabi Open qualifiers.
Prediction: Wakana in 3
McCartney Kessler vs Ashlyn Krueger
Head-to-head: first meeting
McCartney Kessler generally likes to be aggressive. However, to win, she will need to absorb pressure from Ashlyn Krueger. The American’s sudden rise in the last few months, including winning two titles, contained matches that showed she has the grit to match her ability to hit winners. That makes her the favorite to defeat Kessler.
Prediction: Kessler in 2
Katie Volynets vs Sonay Kartal
Head-to-head: first meeting
Expect this to be a long match. Both women base their games on consistency, athleticism, and extending rallies. The match will probably come down to who is fittest and more concentrated. Katie Volynets is slightly more likely to win that battle. She has one of the best attitudes on the WTA Tour, which should serve her well in this matchup – though Sonay Kartal will make it close.
Prediction: Volynets in 3
Liudmila Samsonova vs Polina Kudermetova
Head-to-head: Samsonova 1-1 Kudermetova
Polina Kudermetova defeated Liudmila Samsonova earlier this season at the WTA Brisbane International. Samsonova’s game is more formidable when firing, but she has been inconsistent for over a year now. The conditions in Abu Dhabi suit her aggressive game slightly more, though. Therefore, Ova is backed to get her revenge over Kudermetova in a competitive match. In truth, this could go either way.
Prediction: Samsonova in 2
Caroline Garcia vs Lulu Sun
Head-to-head: first meeting
2022 WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia’s serve and ability to avoid Lulu Sun’s left-handed forehand are crucial in this matchup. The Frenchwoman will struggle if she allows last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinalist to pepper her weaker wing in cross-court rallies. Garcia has been among the most inconsistent players worldwide in recent years, making it hard to back her for a challenging matchup like this.
Prediction: Sun in 2
Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
