With three wins in the Rome WTA 1000 main draw, Emma Raducanu is probably in the best clay-court form of her life. Will that be enough for the Brit to post a career-first win over Daria Kasatkina? The No. 6 seed could also use a run, as her season has not gone as planned. Who do you think will come out on top at WTA Strasbourg?
WTA Strasbourg Day 2 Predictions
Alize Cornet vs Marie Bouzkova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Alize Cornet recently chose to come out of retirement, and while she started with a couple of wins at the ITF event in La Bisbal, things have been a little more difficult since. She’s got so much history in Strasbourg with the 2012 final and the 2013 title, but to say it’s been a while would be an understatement. It should be fascinating to see her come up against Marie Bouzkova, who got dominated by Caroline Dolehide in the final qualifying round. But can the veteran beat somebody who’s so physical and reliant on consistency?
Prediction: Bouzkova in 3
Xinyu Wang vs Eva Lys
Head-to-head: Wang 1-0
It was a strong qualifying campaign from Eva Lys as she took down Aleksandra Krunic and Bernarda Pera. The young German is on an upswing now, and it seems like she might be able to post a nice result somewhere soon if the draw opens up. She should have a shot at Xinyu Wang, who tends to be quite inconsistent and isn’t the strongest clay-courter around. Having two matches under her belt this week could also be a nice advantage for Lys.
Prediction: Lys in 3
Anna Kalinskaya vs Caroline Dolehide
Head-to-head: Kalinskaya 2-0
They’ve already faced each other in Singapore this year, with Anna Kalinskaya prevailing in three sets on an indoor hard court. Clay would typically favor the Russian even more, as while she likes hitting flat and taking the ball early, she’s not as reliant on quicker conditions as Caroline Dolehide. But after getting double-bageled by Diana Shnaider in Rome, the American qualified here with a dominant win over Marie Bouzkova. Let’s assume it was a bit of a flash in the pan, and Kalinskaya’s game is still a lot more versatile.
Prediction: Kalinskaya in 2
Emma Raducanu vs Daria Kasatkina
Head-to-head: Kasatkina 3-0
Daria Kasatkina can’t be pleased with this season so far, as she’s sitting at an 11-11 win/loss record. But the Russian has played some good matches along the way and hasn’t lost any of her variety that tends to be confusing for the opponents. Emma Raducanu is yet to beat her, but is coming off a strong run in Rome. Perhaps this is the opportunity, and now that she is fully fit, having time to work out Kasatkina’s game could actually work in her favor. After all, the Russian doesn’t produce the kind of power to blow her off the court.
Prediction: Raducanu in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – Imagn Images
