All eight second-round matches will be played on Day 3 of the Lexus WTA Eastbourne Open, and there are some fascinating matchups to look forward to. This article features the #2 seed Madison Keys facing off against Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. As always, we at LWOT will offer predictions for every match on the slate, but who will advance?
WTA Eastbourne Day 3 Predictions
Ajla Tomljanovic vs Tereza Valentova
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Ajla Tomljanovic defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto in a three-set thriller to advance to the second round for the first time at WTA Eastbourne since 2022. She is playing with a lot of confidence and will be the favourite to make the quarterfinals. Tereza Valentova got her first-ever main draw win on grass by battling it out against Hannah Klugman in the first round. It must have been a big moment for the 19-year-old, but Tomljanovic is going to be a much tougher opponent.
Prediction: Tomljanovic in 3
Tatjana Maria vs Anastasia Zakharova
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Tatjana Maria defeated the top seed, Jasmine Paolini, in straight sets, but it wasn’t a surprising result considering the form. Maria has shown her class in all the tournaments she has played on grass this season and is closing in on returning to the top 100. Anastasia Zakharova has played three close matches and has done well to come out on top in all of them, but Maria’s variety and grass pedigree should be enough to win this.
Prediction: Maria in 2
McCartney Kessler vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head-to-Head: first meeting
McCartney Kessler snapped her three-match losing streak with a solid performance against Daria Kasatkina. Kessler was making her debut here at WTA Eastbourne and will be happy with the start. She has another winnable match on paper against Anhelina Kalinina, who got broken four times in her first-round match and didn’t look comfortable at all. I think Kessler has the more imposing game on this surface, and if she can limit her unforced errors, she will win.
Prediction: Kessler in 3
Madison Keys vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Madison Keys played a solid opening match to defeat Talia Gibson in straight sets. Keys lost her serve just once and won 83% of her first serve points. Her first-serve percentage was also high, and in this form, not many players in the draw can challenge her. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro is having a good grass season so far, but she doesn’t have the tools to beat an in-form Keys on this surface. I can see a close set, but the American should prevail in straights.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – Imagn Images
