Four second-round matches are scheduled on Day 3 of the Lexus Nottingham Open, and the #3 seed, Emma Navarro, will highlight the day. Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng is also in action against Talia Gibson. As always, we at LWOT will offer predictions for every match on the slate, but who will advance?
WTA Nottingham Day 3 Predictions
Katie Volynets vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
Head-to-Head: Volynets 0-1 Bouzas Maneiro
Katie Volynets defeated the defending champion, McCartney Kessler, in straight sets to get her first Tour-level win on grass this season. She was helped by Kessler’s erratic errors, but was efficient and took her chances. Volynets has never reached a quarterfinal on grass, and this is a great opportunity for her to do so. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro had a good run at Wimbledon last year, but she is not in the kind of form she was last season, and I will give the edge to the qualifier here.
Prediction: Volynets in 3
Dayana Yastremska vs Tatjana Maria
Head-to-Head: Yastremska 0-1 Maria
Last year’s finalist, Dayana Yastremska, did just enough to win in straight sets against Alicia Dudeney, who played well and served for the second set. Yastremska has an aggressive game, and if she can find her rhythm, she will be extremely hard to stop this week. Tatjana Maria has the experience and uses her slice brilliantly on this surface. She can definitely frustrate Yastremska and force her into making errors. It will be a test of patience for the Ukrainian, and if she succeeds, she will win.
Prediction: Yastremska in 3
Qinwen Zheng vs Talia Gibson
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Qinwen Zheng defeated Maria Sakkari in a close encounter, with both players playing some good tennis. It was a much-needed win for the Chinese player, who is looking for a big week ahead of Wimbledon. Grass is not her best surface, but she will like her chances against anyone this week if she serves well and limits her unforced errors. Talia Gibson also survived a thrilling encounter in the first round to end her four-match losing streak in all competitions. I will go with Zheng here as I think she is due for a deep run.
Prediction: Zheng in 3
Emma Navarro vs Yulia Starodubtseva
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Making her debut at the Lexus Nottingham Open, Emma Navarro is off to a winning start, although it wasn’t easy. Anna Bondar pushed her in the first set, but Navarro responded well after that. Yulia Starodubtseva was in all sorts of trouble in her first grass court match of the season as her opponent Maya Joint served for the match in the second set before the Ukrainian fought back. That was Starodubtseva’s first grass win outside of Wimbledon, and she would have to do much better on her serve to get another win.
Prediction: Navarro in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
