The first edition of the Athens Open commences with eight exciting first-round matches. Some big names will be in action, including former Top 10 players Maria Sakkari and Magda Linette, who has won three Tour-level titles. As always, we at LWOT will offer predictions for every match on the slate, but which players will advance?
WTA Athens Day 1 Predictions
Martha Matoula vs Elena Micic
Head-to-Head: first meeting
29-year-old wild card Martha Matoula will play her second Tour-level match and her first since October 2023. She is ranked just outside the Top 300, and a win here would comfortably place her inside. Elena Micic is ranked similarly and comes through a tough second round of qualifiers. Micic has put up better results on hard courts recently, but this is a match which is up for grabs for either player. Playing on home soil gives a slight advantage to Matoula.
Prediction: Matoula in 3
Alycia Parks vs Valentini Grammatikopoulou
Head-to-Head: first meeting
This is a matchup between two wild cards, as World No.81 Alycia Parks takes on No. 499 Valentini Grammatikopoulou. The 29-year-old Greek has been as high as No. 143 in the WTA rankings, but her form hasn’t been good in the last couple of years. Alycia Parks is the only player not from Greece to receive a main-draw wild card this week, and will be looking to make the most of this opportunity. She hasn’t been in the best of form lately, but this is a match she should win.
Prediction: Parks in 2
Magda Linette vs Mai Hontama
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Former World No.19 Magda Linette had a semifinal run in the Netherlands on grass last month, but other than that, she has been quite inconsistent lately. However, she is a solid player on hard courts and has won multiple titles on this surface. Her experience makes her the clear favorite over Japan’s Mai Hontama, who is yet to win a Tour-level match this season.
Prediction: Linette in 3
Maria Sakkari vs Polina Kudermetova
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Maria Sakkari might not be at her best these days, but she has shown glimpses of it throughout the season. If she can find a good start this week, she will fancy her chances of going all the way. Polina Kudermetova is not an easy first-round opponent, but she has won just two Tour-level matches this season, and Sakkari, playing at home, would feel confident and energetic. I am going with the #4 seed to win in straight sets.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
