Day in 1 at the 2022 WTA Tennis in the Land in Cleveland will feature five main-draw matches. There is no shortage of big names at the event with 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova leading the pack. As always, we here at LWOT will have those matches in our daily predictions. Who do you think will advance?
WTA Cleveland Day 1 Predictions
Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs Aleksandra Krunic
Head-to-head: Krunic 2-1 Sasnovich
Sasnovich’s level last week in Cincinnati was extremely high despite her narrow defeat to local favorite Caty McNally. And the fact that McNally nearly knocked out Jabeur in the next round (spurning multiple match points) is a case in point. Krunic is only 2-7 on hard courts this year. By comparison, the Belarusian has won 13 matches on the surface. Sasnovich should advance.
Prediction: Sasnovich in 2
Sara Sorribes Tormo vs Camila Osorio
Head-to-head: first meeting
This is a matchup between two players who have struggled to build on their career-best season in 2021. Both became WTA title winners last season and each would enter the world’s Top 40 earlier this year. But since the points have fallen off from their respective unsuccessful title defenses, they have cascaded down the rankings. Sorribes Tormo has done enough to cling to her Top 50 ranking status. Osorio, meanwhile, has been woefully out of form, winning just once at her last six tournaments. It is tough to see the Colombian turning things around any time soon.
Prediction: Sorribes Tormo in 2
Irina-Camelia Begu vs Peyton Stearns
Head-to-head: first meeting
Peyton Stearns is slowly making the transition to pro tennis and a wildcard in Cleveland should help her cause. Stearns is set to make her main draw bout at Tour level, but she won’t be fazed by the occasion. The 20-year-old American has enjoyed immeasurable success playing collegiate tennis and is the current NCAA singles champion. She defeated World #60 Varvara Gracheva in the qualifying rounds of Cincinnati last week and should be upbeat despite coming up short in her quest to reach the main draw in Ohio (lost to Taylor Townsend). However, her opening match in Cleveland is a case of baptism by fire as she takes on last year’s finalist. Begu was hardly at her best in Cincinnati, but she is vastly experienced to hold off the spirited wild card.
Prediction: Begu in 3
Alize Cornet vs Dayana Yastremska
Head-to-head: Yastremska 1-0 Cornet
Last week’s thrashing at the hands of Sloane Stephens was further evidence Cornet might be peaking for the Grand Slams this season. Nine of her 17 wins this year have come at the three Majors she has played in 2022. She is poised to break the longstanding record of 62 consecutive Grand Slam main draw appearances at the US Open. Cornet’s Cleveland debut might be the perfect tonic to arrest her recent slide. Yastremska, for her part, has posted a famine of just two wins in her last 11 matches. Of concern, she has averaged 3.5 games per match in her last four matches. As ridiculous as it may sound, I think the Ukrainian is long overdue to get her season back on track and she might actually overpower the Frenchwoman.
Prediction: Yastremska in 3
Mayar Sherif vs Martina Trevisan
Head-to-head: Sherif 1-0 Trevisan
Sherif has beaten Trevisan before, on her beloved clay, in Karlsruhe last season. And I am slightly surprised the odds are stacked against her in this match. Trevisan’s combination of shots might not be as effective on the fast hard courts of Cleveland. The problem with Sherif is that she hasn’t particularly played with distinction on this surface and she will need to make split-second decisions in between rallies. This is a tough one to call, but I will back the Egyptian’s weight of shot to come out on top.
Prediction: Sherif in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
