The four remaining second-round matches will be played at the 2019 WTA Istanbul Cup and there should be no shortage of entertaining clay-court tennis for the fans in Turkey. But who will advance to the third round and who will fall to defeat?
Kristina Mladenovic vs Kateryna Kozlova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Mladenovic definitely surprised with the ease with which she dispatched the talented young gun Dayana Yastremska in the first round. Whilst the significance of her win shouldn’t be overstated, it’s certainly an encouraging sign for her. Kozlova, meanwhile, had what looked to be a tough first rounder against Anastasia Potapova, but the Russian was forced to retire after the first set. In the first meeting between the pair, there looks to be little to split them. But Kozlova has been able to find her best tennis more frequently than Mladenovic this season and that consistency should give her the edge in this clash.
Prediction: Kozlova in three
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Veronika Kudermetova vs Timea Babos
Head-to-head: First meeting
A year ago Babos would be the clear favorite here. However, she has endured a miserable start to the year, winning just three of her 12 main draw matches. She hasn’t yet shown any signs of getting her old form back. She’s also struggling physically and ended her qualifying campaign here with a loss via retirement, before getting into the main draw as a lucky loser. Kudermetova, however, is enjoying her best professional year thus far with two quarterfinal appearances already, including two weeks ago on the clay in Lugano.
Prediction: Kudermetova in two
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Petra Martic vs Ana Bogdan
Head-to-head: Martic 2-0
Martic may be the favourite for many coming into this match, but don’t discount Bogdan’s chances. She may not have won a match this year until a tournament in Bogota two weeks ago, but since then the Romanian been slowly regaining her confidence back and already has three matches under her belt here in Istanbul. Martic’s huge topspin strokes are very well suited to clay and allowed her to enjoy great success in the past. She had a great tournament three weeks ago in Charleston, reaching a Premier tournament semifinal defeating Amanda Anisimova and Belinda Bencic along the way. However, the Croat looked rusty against Tamara Zidansek in her first round match here. She should still have enough to get past Bogdan, but expect her to have to go the distance to get the win.
Prediction: Martic in three
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Svetlana Kuznetsova vs Marketa Vondrousova
Head-to-head: Kuznetsova 1-0
The most interesting match of the day is also the toughest one to predict. There is no doubting Kuznetsova’s talent, she is after all a two-time major champion. But the Russian also just very much in the twilight of her career and is playing just her second tournament after a six months break. On the other side of the net, the talented young Vondrousova, already a quarterfinalist at both Indian Wells in Miami this year and a runner-up in Budapest, should provide a stern test. One may doubt her clay court prowess, but her win against Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round showed her potential on this surface. Don’t underestimate the left-handed Czech, who is in great form should have enough to deny Kuznetsova.
Prediction: Vondrousova in two
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