As the French Open draws to a close, the grass-court season gets underway. Day one action begins here at the WTA Den Bosch Open with an exciting match-up involving a Ukrainian starlet as well as the top seed playing her first-round match. Who do you think will win?
WTA Den Bosch Day 1 Predictions
Anna Kalinskaya vs Suzan Lamens
Head-to-head: first meeting
Kalinskaya does not come into Den Bosch in great form, losing five out of her last six matches. The Russian has some grass pedigree, qualifying for Wimbledon in her last two appearances. Lamens, a 22-year-old out of the Netherlands, is set to play her first-ever professional match on grass. She’s 25-9 in 2022 but Kalinskaya should still be the favorite due to her experience on the surface.
Prediction: Kalinskaya in 2
Ann Li vs Liudmila Samsonova
Head-to-head: Samsonova 1-0 Li
There are doubts about Ann Li’s fitness as she comes into Den Bosch. The young American has only played one match since March and she retired from it. Samsonova comes in on a four-match losing streak but was incredible on grass last year. The Russian went 10-1 on the surface last season, winning the title in Berlin and reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon. With the uncertainty surrounding Li, Samsonova is certainly the favorite.
Prediction: Samsonova in 2
Vitalia Diatchenko vs Shelby Rogers
Head-to-head: first meeting
Vitalia Diatchenko has found some success on grass in her career, reaching the third round at Wimbledon as a qualifier in 2018 as well as winning the ITF title in Surbiton. Shelby Rogers is now a top 50 player with a couple of third-round runs at Wimbledon, including a win over Maria Sakkari last year. This match could go either way but I will lean on the side of the American here. Both players are experienced and decent on grass, so it should make for a good spectacle.
Prediction: Rogers in 3
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Dayana Yastremska
Head-to-head: Yastremska 3-1 Alexandrova
Ekaterina Alexandrova has a decent record on grass, her breakout win coming against Ana Ivanovic at Wimbledon 2016. The Russian enjoyed a very productive clay season, reaching the semifinals at Madrid and Charleston. Dayana Yastremska, a junior Wimbledon finalist, has had some good grass results. The Ukrainian reached the fourth round of Wimbledon last year. The 22-year-old holds a lead in the head-to-head, including a win in their only previous meeting on grass at Ilkley 2018.
Prediction: Yastremska in 3
Aryna Sabalenka vs Kateryna Baindl
Head-to-head: Sabalenka 2-0 Baindl
Aryna Sabalenka enters as the main headliner of this tournament. With her explosive style of play, she can be close to unbeatable on her day on a fast surface like grass. The 24-year-old showed just how good she can be in her Wimbledon semifinals run last year. Kateryna Baindl, better known by her maiden name Kozlova, captured attention with her win over Sabine Lisicki last week. The Ukrainian has not had the best grass results over her career but will certainly look to make the most of her special ranking at this tournament. Despite that, Sabalenka is definitely the favorite unless she is misfiring entirely.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
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