Wimbledon has just ended but tennis famously never stops, with the main draw of WTA Budapest set to begin Monday with five matches set to be played. Barbora Krejcikova is set to headline the event as the top seed, with the likes of Martina Trevisan or Yulia Putintseva also competing. As always, we here at LWOT will preview and predict every match. Who do you think will win?
WTA Budapest Day 1 Predictions
Lesia Tsurenko vs Carolina Alves
Head-to-head: first meeting
The Ukrainian veteran is having a strong season, earning a 21-11 record with deep runs on grass including the third round at Wimbledon. Alves is looking for her first WTA 250 win, looking really strong in wins over Ekaterina Reyngold and Gabriela Lee, dropping just nine games across the two matches. Alves is in good form so she could very well win this match but I will lean towards the experience of Tsurenko here.
Prediction: Tsurenko in 3
Kamilla Rakhimova vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse
Head-to-head: first meeting
Rakhimova won some matches on grass but has not won a match on clay since Madrid qualifying, carrying a six-match losing streak on the surface. Ruse also has a losing record on the season, winning just one in her last seven matches. The Romanian was not the favorite in any of the matches though but should be in this one. Ruse has gotten some more impressive wins this season, beating Paula Badosa or Shelby Rogers, and I expect her to win here as well.
Prediction: Ruse in 2
Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs Fanny Stollar
Head-to-head: first meeting
It’s been a strong season for Sasnovich, including fourth-round runs at the French Open and Miami, earning a 26-13 record. Stollar did not receive a wildcard despite her nationality but had an easy time in qualifying, getting a second-set retirement from Renata Zarazua before she beat Marina Bassols Ribera in straight sets. The Hungarian was seen as a decent prospect earlier in her career, winning the junior doubles title at Wimbledon and reaching No. 114 as a pro, but has been struggling for deep runs even on the ITF level in the past couple of seasons. It would take a special performance from the 23-year-old to upset Sasnovich.
Prediction: Sasnovich in 2
Bernarda Pera vs Marina Bassols Ribera
Head-to-head: first meeting
Pera has been a strong clay courter over the course of her career, struggling to make an impact on the other surfaces but always due a decent result on clay. The American reached the final of the WTA 125 in Karlsruhe earlier this season, including a win over Jule Niemeier, but did not have a notable result on clay outside of it. Pera did absolutely smash through qualifying though, dropping just five games against Katarina Zavatska and Sofia Shapatava. Bassols Ribera was coming off of two ITF titles, a 60 in Madrid and a 25 in Palma del Rio, accumulating an eleven-match winning streak before she lost to Fanny Stollar in the final qualifying round. The Spaniard enters as a lucky loser but I do not see her having much of a chance against Pera.
Prediction: Pera in 2
Kateryna Baindl vs Timea Babos
Head-to-head: Baindl 1-1 Babos
The match of the day in Budapest. Baindl, formerly known as Kozlova, has reached the quarterfinals in Budapest twice before. The Ukrainian struggled earlier in the season but has shown good form in July, reaching the final of an ITF 60 in Montpellier before qualifying here. There Baindl defeated Daniela Seguel and Rebeka Stolmar, both in straight sets. Babos, former No. 25 in singles and World No. 1 in doubles, has struggled in the past few seasons. The 29-year-old is down at No. 290 in the rankings and needed a wildcard to enter, which she was sure to receive as a former champion here in 2017. Babos is looking to recapture her old form at her hometown tournament but an in-form Baindl is likely to defeat her here.
Predictions: Baindl in 2
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
