The second day of the inaugural WTA Memphis Classic continues with another intriguing set of first-round matches, as players look to make the most of one of the first stops on the North American hard-court swing before the final Major of the year. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule. But who will advance?
WTA Memphis Day 2 Predictions
Zeynep Sonmez vs Cadence Brace
Head–to–Head: Sonmez 1 – 0 Brace
Zeynep Sonmez will head into this one at WTA Memphis with every reason for confidence after demolishing Cadence Brace 6-2 6-0 back in February in Merida, and little has shifted since to suggest a different script this time. The Turk is riding a career-best season and arrives in better form, while Brace, ranked a distant #254, is still cutting her teeth with only her fourth tour-level match under her belt. On paper and on recent history, this looks like Sonmez’s match to lose.
Prediction: Sonmez in 2
Sloane Stephens vs Yuliia Starodubtseva
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Veteran Sloane Stephens walks into this one as the underdog, and it’s easy to see why. The former US Open champion has been a shadow of herself since returning from time off, sitting at a rough #320 in the rankings with barely any rhythm to show for it on the main tour.
Across the net, Yuliia Starodubtseva brings exactly the kind of match sharpness Stephens is missing. While she hasn’t been piling up results lately, she’s had a genuinely solid season and looks miles ahead in form. Don’t expect the American to buck the trend here; a third tour-level win of the year feels like a stretch against a Ukrainian who’s simply playing more and better tennis, right now.
Prediction: Starodubtseva in 2
Darja Vidmanova vs Marina Bassols Ribera
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Darja Vidmanova and Marina Bassols Ribera meet in Memphis with both still searching for answers this season. Bassols Ribera brings the experience of more tour miles, and in a first-ever meeting that could count for something, but Vidmanova has been knocking on the door all year without breaking through. Five near-misses in, the sixth time could be the charm; expect the Czech to finally get her first tour-level win of 2026 over the line here.
Prediction: Vidmanova in 3
McCartney Kessler vs Renata Zarazua
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
McCartney Kessler has Renata Zarazua’s number, plain and simple, a spotless 4-0 head-to-head spanning hard, clay and grass, with the Mexican managing to scrape just a single set off her in four attempts, but this will be their first meeting in the main draw on the main tour. That kind of dominance breeds a blueprint, and with the American holding the ranking edge and the crowd firmly in her corner, there’s little reason to expect Zarazua to finally crack the code here. Expect Kessler to control the baseline exchanges and lean on the tactical patterns that have worked before.
Prediction: Kessler in 2
Main Photo Credit Syndication: Desert Sun
