The remaining of the second-round matches will be completed on day four at the WTA Lyon Open. The draw is wide open, presenting a great opportunity to every player left in the tournament to gain valuable ranking points and potentially go all the way. But who will advance?
WTA Lyon Day 4 Predictions
Zhang Shuai vs Arantxa Rus
Head-to-head: Rus 1-0 Zhang
Zhang Shuai and Arantxa Rus both recorded straight set wins in their Lyon openers, in contrasting fashion. The eighth seeded Zhang battled past Kristina Mladenovic 7-6 7-5, whilst Rus dominated a lacklustre Danka Kovinic 6-2 6-0. Rus defeated Zhang 6-2 6-3 in Istanbul in 2018 in the only previous meeting between the pair. That was on clay, a favourable surface for the counter-punching Rus. Expect a very different result in Lyon. Zhang is better player in these conditions and should be solid enough to get the win despite her indifferent form of late.
Prediction: Zhang in 3
Embed from Getty Images
Viktorija Golubic vs Vitalia Diatchenko
Head-to-head: first meeting
Viktorija Golubic hasn’t had the best start to 2022 after a career best season in 2021. Golubic hasn’t won back-to-back matches since a quarterfinal appearance in Melbourne to start the year. Lyon looks like a great chance for the Swiss player to build some momentum. The 29-year-old got her tournament off to a shaky start but rallied to claim a 1-6 6-4 6-4 win over Mai Hontama.
Vitalia Diatchenko has winning form on her side. Diatchenko has won 6 straight matches having arrives in Lyon fresh from winning a lower level ITF event in France. Diatchenko started her Lyon campaign with a 6-3 2-6 6-4 victory over Anna-Lena Friedsam. Golubic looks likely to end Diatchenko’s winning run. Diatchenko has a fairly one-dimensional game, a style that’s unlikely to trouble Golubic in these conditions. Golubic’s variety and defensive skills will force errors from Diatchenko. Expect Golubic to win this quite comfortably.
Prediction: Golubic in 2
Embed from Getty Images
Caroline Garcia vs Martina Trevisan
Head-to-head: Garcia 1-0 Trevisan
Caroline Garcia made a strong start in Lyon when she eliminated the top seeded Camila Giorgi 5-7 6-4 6-0. Garcia should be able to make it back-to-back wins over Italian opponents when she faces Martina Trevisan. There’s no excuses for Garcia in this matchup, especially on a hard court. Garcia firepower should allow her to dominate an opponent like Trevisan in these conditions. Garcia’s ability to execute is questionable, but an opening round win over the top seed is a good sign, as is a 6-2 6-4 for Garcia in Dubai last year in their only previous meeting.
Prediction: Garcia in 2
Embed from Getty Images
Jasmine Paolini vs Tamara Korpatsch
Head-to-head: Korpatsch 1-0 Korpatsch
Jasmine Paolini has achieved some of her best results in recent times having reached a career high ranking of #44 last week. The Italian has a good chance to consolidate her ranking this week thanks to a favourable draw. Paolini wasn’t too convincing in a 4-6 7-5 6-3 first-round win over Irina Bara, expect a better performance when she faces Tamara Korpatsch for a spot in the quarterfinals. The German claimed a 6-3 1-6 6-2 upset win over an erratic Oceane Dodin in the first round, but will face a very different opponent here. Paolini is likely to be too solid here. After all, her ranking has dramatically improved for a reason, she usually gets the job done in these situations.
Prediction: Paolini in 2
Embed from Getty Images
Dayana Yastremska vs Cristina Bucsa
Head-to-head: Yastremska 1-0 Bucsa
Dayana Yastremska has won three WTA titles and won matches in on the biggest stages. Nevertheless, a 3-6 7-6 7-6 win over Ana Bogdan in the first in Lyon where she saved a couple of match points in a three hour plus battle was one of the biggest of her career. Yastremska managed to escape the war in Ukraine just a few days before competing in Lyon. It was an emotional win for Yastremska who is undoubtedly going through a horrible time at the moment.
Cristina Bucsa is having a significant week of her own. The Spaniard came through the qualifying draw before upsetting the fourth seeded Alize Cornet 1-6 6-4 6-1 in what was one of the biggest wins of her career. Expect an upset here. Yastremska is up against against an opponent having one of her best weeks on tour, whilst the the gruelling nature of her first-round win, coupled with the highly distressing situation in her homeland must leave Yastremska vulnerable. Yastremska is inconsistent at the best of times, yet alone under these highly challenging circumstances. Bucsa is playing solidly enough to take advantage.
Prediction: Bucsa in 3
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
