As the action continues on Day 1 at Wimbledon, several seeded players face intriguing opening tests against talented youngsters and dangerous opponents. Our writers preview four more women’s singles matches and give their predictions.
Wimbledon Day 1 Women’s Predictions
Belinda Bencic vs Mika Stojsavljevic
Yesh:
Belinda Bencic probably won’t ever win this tournament, but she is a strong player who has been more consistent since her return to Tour. I don’t expect to see an upset.
Prediction: Bencic in 2
Amanda:
Belinda Bencic has not played on grass all season, but the 11th seed and last year’s Wimbledon semifinalist still holds the advantage over 17-year-old Mika Stojsavljevic, who currently sits just inside the top 300 and is finding her footing in professional tennis. Bencic is the more experienced and more polished player, and the lack of grass warmups shouldn’t deter her here.
Prediction: Bencic in 2
Barbora Krejcikova vs Hannah Klugman
Yesh:
Krejcikova has fallen from her incredible heights of a few years ago, but she’s still a strong player who should navigate through the early rounds.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
Amanda:
It feels like Hannah Klugman is on the verge of breaking through, but she’ll have to wait a little longer as she faces 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first round. Krejcikova is struggling with physical issues, as she had to withdraw from the ‘s-Hertogenbosch final, but she also wasn’t fully fit last year and that didn’t stop her from winning her early matches and showcasing the game that won her this tournament two years ago. Right now, Klugman isn’t ready for this type of win.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
Anastasia Gasanova vs Emiliana Arango
Yesh:
In her first event since the French Open, Gasanova barely sneaked her way through qualifying here. She looked better in her third match than the first two, but I think the run ends here.
Prediction: Arango in 3
Amanda:
Anastasia Gasanova went through some battles in qualifying, including a third-set tiebreak in the first round, but that may not cut it against a higher-quality opponent like Emiliana Arango. Though grass is far from Arango’s best surface, she has a massive ranking advantage and is ultimately the better player.
Prediction: Arango in 2
Katerina Siniakova vs Qinwen Zheng
Yesh:
I will never understand how Siniakova hasn’t had a better singles career. She is an absolutely brilliant all-court player, and her net game is as elite as it gets. At some point that has to translate to singles, right?
Prediction: Siniakova in 3
Amanda:
Katerina Siniakova and Qinwen Zheng met in the first round of Wimbledon last year, and it was a three-set upset that went the way of Siniakova. This year, though, Siniakova is the seeded player and Zheng isn’t, and that’s an indicator of where their level is. While this could be just as close as last year’s match, it will likely fall the way of the favorite this time.
Prediction: Siniakova in 3
Main Photo Credit: Smartframe Images
