It is Day 1 of the newly-established World Tennis League tournament. Team Kites, led by WTA #1 Iga Swiatek, will take on Team Eagles who will call on the services of Nick Kyrgios and Caroline Garcia. There will be two singles matches and one mixed doubles match per day at the event. So who will score the points on what promises to be an entertaining day of the Greatest Show On Court?
World Tennis League Day 1 Predictions
Holger Rune and Sania Mirza vs Bianca Andreescu and Rohan Bopanna
Head-to-head: first meeting
Since returning from maternity, Sania Mirza has not managed to reprise her trophy-laden success in the past 18 months. But she is inarguably the most experienced and highly successful doubles operator in the field this week. She joins forces with fast-rising Dane Holger Rune. Rune will certainly use this experience as a launchpad to learn a thing or two on the doubles court. Tactically, this should enhance his court awareness and give him the freedom to try out the silky shots. They play the versatile duo of Andreescu and Rohan Bopanna. Bopanna has rolled back the years and played with distinction in 2022, winning three doubles titles at 42. He has a crafty partner in Andreescu who can mix it up and read the game well. But I think the energetic Rune might be the difference in this matchup.
Prediction: Rune/Mirza in 3
Iga Swiatek vs Caroline Garcia
Head-to-head: Swiatek 2-1 Garcia
Swiatek was the most dominant player in 2022 with more victories and titles than any woman. Garcia, for her part, put her first half slump behind her and produced a jaw-dropping run of results at the start of the grass-court season. She made quite a splash in the second half of the campaign, winning a WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati as a qualifier and the seasoning-ending WTA Finals in Fort Worth. Garcia’s only defeat at the WTA Finals came at the group stage when she lost to Swiatek. It was her second match at the event which further intensifies the notion that she is a momentum player and tends to struggle early on. That could very well be the case here.
Prediction: Swiatek in 3
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Nick Kyrgios
Head-to-head: Auger-Aliassime 2-0 Kyrgios
Kyrgios, as he puts it himself, thrives in a team environment. But the same can be said in reference to Auger-Aliassime who is fresh from steering Canada to a historic Davis Cup success last month. The 22-year-old was also part of Team World’s maiden Laver Cup win in London where he scored a pivotal straight-sets win over Novak Djokovic in a singles rubber.
Kyrgios was forced to abandon his third-round match against Auger-Aliassime at last year’s Wimbledon due to an abdominal injury, so he will get a chance to make amends here. He played in a Saudi exhibition event last week, losing to Cameron Norrie. This match is too close to call particularly with a 10-point tiebreak potentially deciding matters. Kyrgios has won a few of those down the stretch, so it might be wise to side with the Aussie.
Prediction: Kyrgios in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
