A superb day of action awaits on day three at the WTA Doha event – the Qatar Open. After Iga Swiatek made her bow yesterday, more big guns are set to enter the fray with 14 matches on the slate.. We here at LWOT are predicting every match including Coco Gauff vs Marta Kostyuk. But who will win through to the third round?
WTA Doha Day 3 Predictions
Elise Mertens vs Cristina Bucsa
Head-to-head: Bucsa 1-0 Mertens
Cristina Bucsa defeated Elise Mertens a few months ago in Beijing. There were several lengthy rallies in that match, and Mertens, who likes redirecting pace, looked somewhat lost against the Spaniard’s flat but not overly powerful groundstrokes. However, the Belgian has probably learned from playing Bucsa for the first time. Mertens is usually a good problem solver, and getting her tactics confused against Bucsa last time was unusual. Expect the Belgian, who won the title in Singapore just over a week ago, to perform better this time.
Prediction: Mertens in 2
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Sofia Kenin vs Alycia Parks
Head-to-head: first meeting
Both Americans managed impressive victories in the last round. Sofia Kenin upset last last week’s Abu Dhabi Open runner-up Ashlyn Krueger, while Alycia Parks beat the eleventh seed Diana Shnaider. At her best, this is a matchup that suits Kenin more. She has a game capable of disarming big hitters and servers like Parks. The 2020 Australian Open champion has been inconsistent for a few years, but her match with Krueger should be good preparation since Parks’ style is similar.
Prediction: Kenin in 3
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Aryna Sabalenka vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Head-to-head: Sabalenka 4-3 Alexandrova
The head-to-head shows that Aryna Sabalenka finds this matchup awkward. However, Ekaterinana Alexandrova’s last victory was in 2022, before Sabalenka had won the first of her three Grand Slam titles. Although the conditions in Doha do not suit Sabalenka perfectly, they might be helpful in this matchup. The slowness will prevent Alexandrova from winning as many points with her serve, which is crucial to her chances. It would be surprising if the world #1 did not prevail at WTA Doha.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Main photo credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
