The WTA 250 Lexus Nottingham Open grass-court event kicks off tomorrow with one of the stronger fields the tournament has seen. With Wimbledon looming, every point on this grass counts, and we analyse every match at WTA Nottingham. But who will advance on the first day?
WTA Nottingham Day 1 Predictions
Anna Blinkova vs Taylah Preston
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Anna Blinkova is currently on a slide, having managed just three tour-level wins all year, and now she draws a 20-year-old Australian with something to prove.
Taylah Preston is no wildcard gamble as she reached the quarterfinals at Birmingham last week and brings the kind of flat, aggressive ball-striking that could expose everything Blinkova struggles with. If she plays anywhere close to what she is capable of, the upset is more than possible.
Prediction: Preston in 3
Maya Joint vs Yuliia Starodubtseva
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Maya Joint’s season has barely lifted off with just two wins in 2025, but grass is where the Australian quietly comes alive. She claimed the Eastbourne title on this surface last year, and there’s every reason to believe the turf swing could be exactly the reset her season needs.
Yuliia Starodubtseva has been the more compelling figure on clay, stringing together results that demand attention, but grass is a different conversation entirely, and the Ukrainian must now solve a surface that rarely rewards clay-court instincts overnight. Joint’s surface edge could be the decisive factor here.
Prediction: Joint in 2
Talia Gibson vs Francesca Jones
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Fran Jones arrives in Nottingham needing a result, and the stars may be aligning. The home crowd will be firmly in her corner, and Talia Gibson, for all her recent form, is still finding her feet on grass. Jones knows these conditions, and on a surface where instinct and experience count, that familiarity could prove decisive.
Gibson is the higher-ranked player right now and will carry more momentum into the match, but rankings don’t always translate on grass.
Jones has the court sense, the crowd, and enough motivation to turn this into a street fight. Back her to grind it out and take the win when it matters.
Prediction: Jones in 3
Tatjana Maria vs Janice Tjen
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Tatjana Maria always has a point to prove on grass, and the one beneath her feet in Nottingham, where she was a finalist in 2012, is where she will even take up the gauntlet. The veteran German showed she still belongs at this level with a run to the last 16 at Queen’s, and on a surface that rewards touch, variety, and guile, her experience is worth more than any seeding.
Janice Tjen walks into this match carrying the wrong mileage. A gruelling clay swing, minimal grass court pedigree, and a natural preference for hard courts- none of it sets up well for a surface that punishes hesitation and rewards instinct. Maria knows every trick this turf has to offer, and Tjen is still learning its language.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
