The second day of tennis in Ohio features a packed schedule with 12 matches taking place throughout the day. There are 13 first-round matches on the slate on day two at the WTA Cleveland Championships and, as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Lauren Davis vs Anett Kontaveit and Shelby Rogers vs Katerina Siniakova. But who will reach the second round?
WTA Cleveland Day 2 Predictions
Linda Fruhvirtova vs Storm Sanders
Head-to-head: first meeting
At just 16-years-old, Linda Fruhvirtova is vastly less experienced at this level than her opponent. However, the young Czech has shown glimpses of real talent in her few appearances on the WTA tour so far. By contrast, Storm Sanders has been around for a good long while but has only recently found the level needed to feature on the tour more regularly. The Aussie has experience on her side and has been playing great tennis so far this year but Fruhvirtova looks like a star of the future and it’s only a matter of time before she has a breakthrough. I think the teen will advance in a tight affair here.
Prediction: Fruhvirtova in 3
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Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs Christina McHale
Head-to-head: Sasnovich 1-0 McHale
Aliaksandra Sasnovich is probably the greater talent of the two here. However, the Belarusian has struggled mightily to string together consistent performances for the last 18 months at least. As such, she is very rarely a sure thing to pick up a win. That is particularly true against a seasoned veteran of the tour in Christina McHale. The American has a huge forehand and great footwork which often make her a real handful on hard courts. She also has home advantage on her side which should be telling. Sasnovich at her best is a favourite to win this match, but the inconsistencies lead one to think McHale will come out on top if she can play well enough to stay in it until Sasnovich crumbles.
Prediction: McHale in 3
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Anna Blinkova vs Jil Teichmann
Head-to-head: Blinkova 1-1 Teichmann
This match shouldn’t be close at all if current form is anything to go by. Jil Teichmann just put together the best hard court week of her career to make the finals in Cincinnati. The Swiss toppled the likes of Karolina Pliskova and Naomi Osaka in what was a brilliant run to behold. Conversely, Anna Blinkova hasn’t won back to back matches on hard courts since Doha in February. The Russian is desperately searching for form after a poor 2020 has carried over into this year. At her best Blinkova has the game to win here. However, Teichmann’s confidence will be through the roof and if she can play the tennis she did last week she should move on comfortably here.
Prediction: Teichmann in 2
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Daria Kasatkina vs Kaja Juvan
Head-to-head: first meeting
Daria Kasatkina has slowed down somewhat after a scorching start to her 2021 campaign down in Australia. Nonetheless, the Russian is playing great tennis on the year so far and looks determined to pull her way back inside the top 10 in the women’s game after a couple of years well of the level required to do so. She faces a tricky opponent in Kaja Juvan. The young Slovenian has been touted as a future star of the game for some time no but has not yet found the consistency needed to make inroads on the tour. She has a big enough game to trouble Kasatkina, but the Russian’s punishing forehand and court craft should draw enough errors from Juvan for her to do much more than that.
Prediction: Kasatkina in 2
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