The second day at the WTA 250 in Prague will see an all-Czech affair between Dominika Salkova and Laura Samson, among several other matches slated for the day. As always, we offer our predictions on who will advance to the next round in the of the final WTA event of the European swing.
WTA Prague Day 2 Predictions
Dominika Salkova vs Laura Samson
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Laura Samson has earned a wild card entry into the Prague Open for the second consecutive year. In last year’s tournament, which marked her WTA Tour debut, she had an impressive performance, clinching three straight victories before having to withdraw in the semifinals against Magdalena Frech in the final set. She will face Dominika Salkova, who has played most of her matches this year on clay.
Because she hasn’t played on hard courts since the end of February, Samson may not be able to replicate the impressive run she had last year, but she should win this one.
Prediction: Samson in 3
Aoi Ito vs Tereza Valentova
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Although Aoi Ito entered as the top seed, she was eliminated in the first round of the Porto Challenger event last week, suffering a heavy defeat 6-1 6-1 against fellow Japanese player Himemo Sakatsume.
In contrast, Porto saw Tereza Valentova captured the title without dropping a single set and has now won four tournament wins this year alone, including on the ITF circuits. The 18-year-old is quickly rising in the world rankings and will be optimistic about her prospects for a strong performance in Prague this week. While there’s a single ranking spot between these two emerging talents, Valentova is in much better form.
Prediction: Valentova in 2
Wang Xinyu vs Harriet Dart
Head–to–Head: Xinyu 1 vs 0 Dart
Wang will be looking to put out a strong performance in Prague this week, beginning her campaign against Harriet Dart who has had a lackluster season, managing only one win on hard courts during the WTA Tour, which came in the first round of the Australian Open in January.
Wang holds a 1-0 advantage in their head-to-head encounters on the tour, having rallied from a set down to defeat Dart in the third round of Wimbledon last year. She is expected to be a strong favorite to secure another win against the struggling British player.
Prediction: Wang in 2
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
