First-round action continues at WTA Doha on what promises to be an entertaining day of tennis in Qatar. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Zheng Qinwen vs Sofia Kenin, Mirra Andreeva vs Magda Linette, and Amanda Anisimova vs Karolina Pliskova. But who will advance?
WTA Doha Day 2 Predictions
Anastasia Zakharova vs Jelena Ostapenko
Head-to-head: first meeting
Jelena Ostapenko’s results in the first month mirror what she produced at the start of last season before she quickly flipped the switch in Doha. The Latvian defeated Iga Swiatek en route to the final of last year’s Qatar Open, where she lost to Amanda Anisimova. But a similar run this week looks highly unlikely unless there is an instant improvement in her game. With Zakharova showing composure and patience right from qualifying, Ostapenko’s poor start to the year could continue.
Prediction: Zakharova in 3
Dayana Yastremska vs Cristina Bucsa
Head-to-head: Yastremska 2-0 Bucsa
Dayana Yastremska last tasted a win in this tournament six years ago when she made the last 16. Last year, she was knocked out in the first round. The Ukrainian kicked this year’s Middle East Swing, snapping a three-match losing streak in Abu Dhabi, but she was comprehensively beaten by Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round. It’s been over a month since Cristina Bucsa won a main draw match, and it looks unlikely she’ll end that drought in Doha. While both players are out of form, Yastremska’s ability to hit through her opponents gives her the best chance of progressing to the second round.
Prediction: Yastremska in 2
Anna Kalinskaya vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
Head-to-head: first meeting
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro produced a standout performance in beating Coco Gauff at the United Cup, but the Spaniard has endured a very poor start to 2026, losing in three out of four matches on Australian soil. Anna Kalinskaya fared better last month, reaching the third round of the Australian Open and taking a set from Iga Swiatek in a three-set defeat. The Russian’s consistency in shot selection and results should give her the edge.
Prediction: Kalinskaya in 3
Maria Sakkari vs Zeynep Sonmez
Head-to-head: Sakkari 1-1 Sonmez
Maria Sakkari’s form against top 10 players hasn’t quite clicked, but there were flashes of that old grit in her other matches, most memorably at the United Cup, where she beat Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu. Zeynep Sonmez put together a history-making run at the Australian Open. She became the first Turkish woman in the Open Era to reach the third round of a Grand Slam (from qualifying), and she’s been receiving a lot of backing from passionate Turkish fans. That said, Sakkari is hitting with better depth this season, especially off the backhand wing, and she is aggressive on the baseline – all things missing from the past year.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
Main photo credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
