Even though the bulk of the WTA tour stars remain in Madrid, L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo has attracted plenty of Top 100 players to the northwest coast of France, as well as former top-ranked juniors like Clara Burel or Diane Parry. Will any of the youngsters pull off an upset on Monday?
We also predict the rest of Monday’s matches in a separate article.
WTA Saint-Malo Monday Predictions
Viktoriya Tomova vs Vivian Heisen
The day begins with a qualifying match between two players close in rankings. Unfortunately, not in singles. Heisen is ranked inside the Top 150 in doubles, which can make her an awkward matchup. The German just doesn’t have the professional singles experience to keep up in this battle.
Prediction: Tomova in 2
Clara Burel vs Viktorija Golubic
Head to head: first meeting
Following a dismal 2020 that saw her ranking collapse to the outskirts of the Top 100, Golubic has been firing on all cylinders this season. The Swiss boasts a robust 26-6 record on the year, including an ITF title and a pair of WTA International finals. These great results have come on hard, though. On clay, she’s only played a couple of matches, pushing the ever solid Elise Mertens to three sets in Istanbul. Burel has had a good 2021 too and made a recent ITF final on clay. The former No. 1 junior in the world will try to make the most of this opportunity on home soil, but Golubic is too strong at the moment.
Prediction: Golubic in 3
Kateryna Kozlova vs Diane Parry
Head to head: first meeting
Kozlova has recently returned to action after nearly seven months sidelined. And honestly, she isn’t as rusty as one would envision. The Ukrainian managed to qualify for Madrid after dismissing Kaia Kanepi and Zarina Diyas, before losing to Laura Siegemund. Hence, she should be favored against Parry. Another junior World No.1 from France, Parry’s transition to the pros has been topsy-turvy. At age 18, she has plenty of time to figure it all out, though. But when judging her recent results, it’s hard to be optimistic about this matchup against Kozlova.
Prediction: Kozlova in 2
Aliona Bolsova vs Martina Trevisan
Head to head: Bolsova 1-0 Trevisan
Another duel between struggling players. Trevisan shocked the tennis world when she reeled off seven straight wins from qualifying to the 2020 French Open quarterfinals. Unfortunately, that run is looking more and more like a fluke, as the Italian is just 2-10 since. For her part, Bolsova, who reached the Round of 16 in Paris a year before, hasn’t really completed her breakthrough either. The former Oklahoma State and Florida Atlantic standout has been playing more inspiring tennis for the past month.
Prediction: Bolsova in 2
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