More seeds are in action at the WTA Iasi Open in Romania, with Tuesday featuring an impressive 12 matches at the clay court event. LWOT offers its predictions ahead of the big day, with spots in the second round on the line. Who will advance?
WTA Iasi Day 2 Predictions
Dominika Salkova vs Alevtina Ibragimova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Ibragimova is near a career-high ranking of No. 270 in the world, but has yet to make the big jump at WTA tour-level. Meanwhile, Salkova has had the slightly better season, highlighted by a WTA 125K title — albeit on indoor hard courts — and should be more experienced in this matchup.
Prediction: Salkova in 2
Yulia Putintseva vs Claire Liu
Head-to-head: Putintseva 2-1
Putintseva was once a regular threat at the highest tier of WTA tennis, but the Kazakh’s ranking has dipped mightily. She’s the favorite by ranking in this matchup, but Liu is an interesting first-round threat; she came through qualifying, and also put together a breakthrough third round run at Wimbledon, nearly upsetting Coco Gauff along the way. Liu may be in better form, and the American might like her chances at an upset, with matches in Iasi already under her belt.
Prediction: Liu in 3
Oleksandra Oliynykova vs Ipek Oz
Head-to-head: First meeting
Oliynykova has brought fantastic tennis to various surfaces in 2026, and the Ukrainian is now squarely in the Top 60 of the rankings. Outside of the Billie Jean King Cup, Öz will battle for a first Tour-level win since 2022, according to Tennis Abstract. Öz lost just three games in her first qualifying match, before falling to Liu; she’s now a lucky loser here. Oliynykova should win straightforwardly.
Prediction: Oliynykova in 2
Paula Badosa vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head-to-head: First meeting
These two have faced off in a qualifying match before, but this will be a fascinating first matchup at Tour-level. Badosa is coming off a WTA 125K title last week, a major boost in form, as the Spaniard will eye a return to the upper echelon of women’s tennis. Kalinina, meanwhile, has put together a 19-3 record at ITF events this season, with a solid tour-level record as well. Badosa has the stronger weapons, but greater inconsistency; the match will ultimately depend on Badosa’s racket and her terms. Her form suggests she could string together some more match wins here.
Prediction: Badosa in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
