We are up to Day 2 of the WTA Volvo Car Open in Charleston, South Carolina. Tuesday will see a mix of first- and second-round matches, with some great ones on deck. We predict all 13 of the day’s matches between three articles. In addition to this one, we have other articles featuring Petra Kvitova vs Storm Sanders and Magdalena Frech vs Garbine Muguruza.
WTA Charleston Day 2 Predictions
Danka Kovinic vs Gabriela Talaba
Don’t let Talaba’s ranking fool you. She has plenty of experience as a solid player at Texas Tech University, so being outside the Top 200 right now just means that she’s adjusting to the move from college to pro. Talaba is a solid clay courter as well, but college tennis is played entirely on hard courts, and it will take her some time to get re-adjusted. Ultimately, that makes the difference in a closer-than-expected match.
Prediction: Kovinic in 3
Hailey Baptiste vs Caroline Dolehide
Both of these Americans are future potential contenders for big titles. These young Americans are future stars. In abstract, the 22-year-old Dolehide has made more of an impression on tour than her opponent. Right now, though–especially after an impressive qualifying run in Miami–the 19-year-old Baptiste just looks better.
Prediction: Baptiste in 2
Nao Hibino vs Luidmilla Samsonova
Hibino has been quietly impressing me for a while now. She’ll never be a world beater, but she consistently manages to exceed expectations. Samsonova, meanwhile, is looking to crack the Top 100 for the first time in her career, right after an incredible run at the Miami Open. Hibino surprises me, often, but I expect the Russian to move on here.
Prediction: Samsonova in 3
Zarina Diyas vs Yulia Putintseva
This all-Kazakh second-round matchup could be a good one. Diyas is a great player who has yet to string together her top level for an entire tournament. Putintseva, meanwhile, always manages to keep her opponents off their best games. That’s a bad combination for Diyas. The younger Kazakh definitely has the potential to make this a tight match, but the safer choice is not expecting it.
Prediction: Putintseva in 2
Coco Gauff vs Tsvetana Pironkova
This could be an incredible match. I freely admit that I often underestimate future superstar Coco Gauff, but I like Pironkova in this one. The Bulgarian’s comeback has been incredible and meteoric. She’s been playing better since her return than she did throughout much of her career. I think Pironkova finds her way through this match and moves on.
Prediction: Pironkova in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
