The field at WTA Melbourne Summer Set 2 has been whittled down to 16 ahead of Thursday’s action. Top seed Jessica Pegula bowed out early, but the rest of the seeds remain. Joining them are unseeded dark horses Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys. Will the tournament favourites continue to perform? Could this be the breakout tournament for a new young star on the tour? We do our best to answer those questions in relation to Thursday’s matches in our WTA Melbourne Summer Set 2 day 2 predictions.
WTA Melbourne Summer Set 2 Day 3 Predictions
Rebecca Peterson vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich
Head-to-head: 1 – 0 Peterson
Rebecca Peterson owns the head-to-head here and looked good in her first match in Melbourne. She is a very good player when in form and has two hard court titles to her name to prove it. Her solid defence and counterpunching are helped by the quick conditions in Melbourne which lend pace to her shots that might not ordinarily be there. Aliaksandra Sasnovich also impressed in her first round match. However, hers was against a lucky loser short of form in Xinyu Wang. This is a much tougher test for the Belarusian and I’m not sure it’s one she passes. Peterson will be able to frustrate Sasnovich and draw enough errors to win this, even if it does take her three sets to do so.
Prediction: Peterson in 3
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Irena-Camelia Begu vs Jasmine Paolini
Head-to-head: 1 – 1
These two met twice in 2019 and split the difference winning one match each. However, both of those matches were on clay and so they hold title relevance here. Jasmine Paolini has proven herself a capable hard court player in recent months and the small Italian isn’t afraid to go for her shots. By contrast, Begu is a more crafty player and likes to construct points and outsmart her opponent. The quick courts in Melbourne favour an aggressive brand of tennis and on that basis I’m giving the edge to Paolini in this one. If Begu serves well it goes three sets, if not the Italian wins comfortably.
Prediction: Paolini in 2
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Ann Li vs Anastasija Sevastova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Ann Li appears to have carried her good form from 2021 into this year. The young American emphatically dismissed Mayar Sherif for the loss of just two games in her first round match. Anastasija Sevastova also won her first match in straight sets, albeit in a much closer 6-4 6-4 encounter with Caroline Garcia. The Latvian can be dangerous on hard courts. When she is confident and going for her shots she has an effortless power off both wings that can be hard to deal with. However, it will be hard for her to get on the front foot here. Li is in fine form and playing great tennis. The young American looks to be a future bona fide star in the women’s game and should be able to win this match.
Prediction: Li in 2
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Daria Kasatkina vs Madison Keys
Head-to-head: 7 – 0 Keys
Many would have had Daria Kasatkina as the favourite to win this match when it was set. However, a 7-0 head-to-head in Keys’ favour is to big a factor to ignore here, regardless of form. The American has lost just one set to Kasatkina in the seven hard court matches they have played. Kasatkina is a counterpuncher at heart and will struggle against players who can hit anyone off the court if said player is on song. Keys is definitely one of those players and clearly enjoys playing the Russian. My heart wants to believe Kasatkina’s form last year and Keys’ decline in recent months means the Russian will finally notch a win here. However, my head says you don’t lose seven matches – six without winning a set – and suddenly turn things around. Keys has the upper hand here and should win again barring a complete collapse.
Prediction: Keys in 2
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