Grass season is here, and the Lexus Nottingham Open gets underway tomorrow, with a star-studded WTA Nottingham field descending on the Nottingham Tennis Centre for a WTA 250 level tournament that shapes up as a fierce Wimbledon audition. Seven days, one title, and a whole lot of grass-court momentum on the line- who will break through on the first day?
WTA Nottingham Day 1 Predictions
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro vs Himeno Sakatsume
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro heads into this first-round clash at WTA Nottingham desperate to end a three-match skid, but the draw has handed her a manageable task in Himeno Sakatsume. The Spaniard has the ranking, the grass pedigree, and the experience that should count for plenty this early in this season.
Sakatsume arrives as a wildcard threat, and the transition from clay to grass does have a habit of levelling the field in these opening rounds. But Bouzas Maneiro is too well-equipped to be caught cold. Back her to bounce back.
Prediction: Bouzas Maneiro in 2
Marie Bouzkova vs Tereza Valentova
Head–to–Head: Bouzkova 1 – 0 Valentova
Marie Bouzkova has every advantage the grass can offer, especially after the fourth seed has already had her tune-up at Queen’s and carries a respectable record on the surface. Moreover, she holds a 1-0 head-to-head edge over her younger compatriot, that lone meeting coming in the Prague final last year, where Bouzkova had the last word.
Terez Valentova is no pushover though; at 19 and knocking on the top 40’s door, she’s a sharper player than the one who lost that Prague clash. But this is her first main draw on turf, and grass has a way of punishing first-timers. Bouzkova knows how to use the surface, so expect the fourth seed to press that edge early and hold on.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 2
Emma Navarro vs Sara Bejlek
Head–to–Head: Navarro 1 – 0 Bejlek
Emma Navarro has been steadily rediscovering her best form after a shaky start to the season, and statistically, there is no better surface for her to do it on.
Sara Bejlek’s momentum has stalled since her Abu Dhabi title, but she has just two wins to show across her last stretch of matches. Worse still, grass is virtually foreign territory for the Czech. Navarro should have too much. Prediction: Navarro in 2
Maria Sakkari vs Qinwen Zheng
Head–to–Head: Sakkari 2 – 2 Zheng
Qinwen Zheng and Maria Sakkari renew their rivalry, poised at 2-2, with the Chinese star having won the last two meetings. The fifth chapter arrives on grass for the first time, and that surface switch could flip the script. Sakkari is the more comfortable mover on this terrain, a fact that carries weight regardless of the raw power Zheng brings to every court she steps on.
Form is thin on both sides heading into Nottingham, which only adds to the intrigue. This one has upset written all over it, and a quick finish feels unlikely.
Prediction: Sakarri in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
