The Top 8 seeds in the WTA 100 Dubai play their first matches on Day 3. This includes Iga Swiatek, who lost to Jelena Ostapenko for a fifth consecutive time in last week’s semifinal in Doha. 16 contests are scheduled in total, and we at LWOT predict all the action here and in separate articles, including Coco Gauff vs McCartney Kessler.
WTA Dubai Day 3 Predictions
Jessica Pegula vs Liudmila Samsonova
Head-to-head: Pegula 3-1 Samsonova
Pegula lost her quarterfinal last week in Doha against Ekaterina Alexandrova, whose playing style is similar to Samsonova’s. The 26-year-old showed how dangerous she could be for Pegula in the opening round by hammering Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for the loss of just four games. Pegula’s much greater consistency over a season compared to Samsonova’s sudden drops in level makes it hard to go against the American, but this could be an interesting match.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Elina Svitolina vs Clara Tauson
Head-to-head: Tauson 1-0 Svitolina
This has the potential to be among the best contests of the day. Tauson’s recent improvements and formidable hitting against Svitolina’s doggedness and experience might provide the perfect balance. It is a challenging matchup to call, but former champion in Dubai Svitolina’s ability to redirect her opponent’s pace may prove the difference in the end.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
Alycia Parks vs Sorana Cirstea
Head-to-head: First meeting
Both women demonstrated their powerful ball-striking in impressive opening-round wins. Cirstea beat the No. 10 seed Daria Kasatkina in straight sets, and Parks also did not drop a set against Xinyu Wang. This is another match that has the potential to be decided by fine margins. Parks possesses a superior serve to get free points in the fast Dubai conditions, and that extra advantage is why she is predicted to win.
Prediction: Parks in 3
Iga Swiatek vs Victoria Azarenka
Head-to-head: Swiatek 3-1 Azarenka
Azarenka won the first meeting between these two at the 2020 US Open. Swiatek has responded with three consecutive victories, the most recent two of which were comprehensive straight-set triumphs. A fast hardcourt like the one in Dubai represents Azarenka’s best chance of causing an upset against the Pole. That does not change Swiatek being the favorite, though, and the four-time French Open winner will be confident of victory.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
