There should be plenty of entertaining action on day one at the WTA Serbia Open. With the French Open just days away, every player in the draw will surely be desperate to gain some momentum. But who will book their place in the second round?
WTA Serbia Open Day 1 Predictions
Paula Badosa vs Andrea Petkovic
Head-to-head: first meeting
Paula Badosa has been a sensation in recent weeks. Her outstanding run of results has been rewarded with a steady climb in the rankings. Badosa has cracked the top 50 for the first time (peaking at career-high world #42) after making back-to-back semifinals in Charleston and Madrid – becoming the first Spanish woman to do so. But for how long can she keep up this excellent form?
Judging by recent defeats, it would take another special performance to stop her in her tracks. And given Andrea Petkovic’s struggles with injury and inconsistency, it would be a sizable upset if she is to beat the Spaniard. Expect the fourth seed to roll into the second round unharmed.
Prediction: Badosa in 2
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Nadia Podoroska vs Timea Babos
Head-to-head: Babos 1-0 Podoroska
Nadia Podoroska is coming off a Round of 16 showing in Rome where she picked up her third career top 10 win in the last eight months with an upset win over Serena Williams. That defeat prompted Williams to return to the drawing board and the legendary American has elected to get more matches under her belt prior to the French Open by accepting a wildcard for Emilia-Romagna Open.
For Podoroska, she hasn’t really set the world alight this year and is in desperate need of some momentum heading to Paris. The Argentine opens up against Timea Babos in Belgrade. Granted the Hungarian is a former world #25, she has fallen down from lofty heights in singles competition. Babos failed to register a single main draw win in the entire 2020 season, but she has managed to change that stat in the first quarter of 2021. However, Podoroska’s clay-court repertoire should be far too much to handle for the Hungarian.
Prediction: Podoroska in 2
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Patricia Maria Tig vs Mihaela Buzarnescu
Head-to-head: first meeting
This is a meeting between two Romanians who have struggled for any sort of consistency this year. Buzarnescu is paying a hefty price for her substantial drop in the rankings due to injuries. The burden of playing qualifying matches seems to have taken its toll. She has won just one main draw match this term and hasn’t played since losing in the first round of Bogota to Tan Harmony.
Patricia Maria Tig, on her part, hasn’t performed with distinction but is certainly in better shape. The 26-year-old Tig has won two career titles on clay before and arrives in Belgrade with adequate levels of fitness having played seven clay-court matches in the past few weeks.
Prediction: Tig in 3
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Oceane Dodin vs Kristyna Pliskova
Head-to-head: Dodin 3-2 Pliskova
The onus should certainly be on Oceane Dodin to pull off a rare win at tour level. You wouldn’t really hang your hat on either of these two players to win tennis matches on current form, but Dodin is doing significantly better. Pliskova is winless in main draw matches in five previous tournaments and hasn’t played any of those on clay.
Prediction: Dodin in 3
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