Day 1 of the WTA Volvo Car Open in Charleston, South Carolina kicks off on Monday. This 64-player tournament is the biggest annual event on clay in the United States. Plenty of Americans will be searching for glory, as will the rest of the tour. There are 14 matches on Monday, and we predict all of them, between four separate articles. In addition to this article, the other three feature Madison Brengle vs Lauren Davis, Andrea Petkovic vs Yulia Putintseva, and Amanda Anisimova vs Magda Linette.
WTA Charleston Day 1 Predictions
Alize Cornet vs Bernarda Pera
Pera picked up a huge win in the opening round of the Australian Open, upsetting Angelique Kerber in straight sets. Since then, the 26-year-old American has not won a single match. Cornet is not quite where she was at her peak, but the Frenchwoman is solid enough to handle Pera, who is searching for her form right now.
Prediction: Cornet in 2
Francesca di Lorenzo vs Kurumi Nara
Di Lorenzo was looking like a future star a short few years ago. Fresh off a season as the #1 player in the NCAA while at Ohio State University, di Lorenzo was making waves with her huge serve during the US Open summer series. She has not found her 2019 form since the pandemic break, and is yet to win a match in 2021. Expect that to change, though. Nara has not done much particularly noteworthy either yet this year, and she will likely have no answers for the di Lorenzo serve.
Prediction: Di Lorenzo in 3
Caty McNally vs Elena Rybakina
McNally might currently be best known as Coco Gauff’s doubles partner, but she is a future rising star in American tennis as well. The teenager has impressed in her few showings at big events, though the pandemic hiatus seemingly halted her development as a pro. Still, the Ohio native is only 19 and on the cusp of cracking the Top 100. She consistently competes with players ranked well above her, even reaching the third round of the US Open last year. Unfortunately for McNally, none of that will be enough to challenge Rybakina. The Kazakh has fallen off from her strong 2020 form a bit, but she is still playing at a high enough level that McNally can’t trouble her right now.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
