The entire second round of women’s singles at the Paris Olympics is scheduled for Day 3 of the event. The rain wasn’t kind to the first round, but hopefully the schedule can get back on track starting on Monday. As always, us here at LastWordOnTennis offer our thoughts on all of the matches. We split Monday’s 16 matches into four articles. The other three articles feature Coco Gauff vs Maria Lourdes Carle, Iga Swiatek vs Diane Parry, and Danielle Collins vs Caroline Wozniacki. Predicting these matches are Jordan Reynolds, Manuel Traquete, and Yesh Ginsburg. Who do you think will reach Round 3?
Paris Olympics Women’s Day 3 Predictions
Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic) vs Xinyu Wang (China)
Jordan:
Krejcikova narrowly survived her first-round match against Sara Sorribes Tormo. Interestingly, her memorable Wimbledon run started with a tight opening round win. However, recovering the next day from a physical battle on clay is harder. By contrast, Wang easily won her first match, and the difference in energy might prove important.
Prediction: Wang in 2
Manuel:
Krejcikova is fresh off a Wimbledon title and will be very motivated to add an Olympic medal here to that. She barely escaped the first round here, but that final set tiebreak win might have given her even more confidence going forward.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
Yesh:
Last time Krejcikova had a run of good form, she won a Major and reached another final. Well, she just won a Major again, and when she plays with confidence she can beat anyone, anywhere, on any court.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
Leylah Fernandez vs Cristina Bucsa
Jordan:
Fernandez was really impressive against Karolina Muchova. Her intensity and aggressive hitting through the conditions at Roland-Garros will be tough for Bucsa to deal with if she is near that level again. Fernandez also proved she can cope with variety against Muchova, meaning Bucsa might be low on winning options in this matchup.
Prediction: Fernandez in 2
Manuel:
Fernandez has been steadily going up the rankings and starting to somewhat fulfill the promise she showed at the US Open three years ago. She got a great win in the first round here and should be able to advance here as well.
Prediction: Fernandez in 2
Yesh:
Fernandez looked in tremendous form in the opening round, and she’s rewarded with a challenging yet easier matchup. Bucsa is a solid player, but she has no answers for the form Fernandez brought in her last match.
Prediction: Fernandez in 2
Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine) vs Clara Burel (France)
Jordan:
Kostyuk was not at her very best against the Wimbledon quarterfinalist Lulu Sun, who does not like playing on clay. Burel presents a stiffer challenge in front of her home fans. At her best though, Kostyuk does everything slightly better than the Frenchwoman, and she is likely to avoid an upset here.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 3
Manuel:
Burel got an upset win in the first round and should be quite confident here, but Kostyuk is generally the more solid and consistent player and should therefore have the slight edge.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 3
Yesh:
Kostyuk might be a better player overall than Burel, but I think Burel has more long-term potential. She also looked better than the Ukrainian in the first round. I think the hometown hero will let the crowd carry her.
Prediction: Burel in 3
Jessica Pegula (United States) vs Elina Svitolina (Ukraine)
Jordan:
This is a fascinating matchup between two players who base their games on solidity from the baseline. Svitolina has a slightly better forehand, while Pegula’s backhand is superior. This could go either way, but I will back Pegula. She has been pretty adept in the past at beating fellow baseliners who do not possess blistering power.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Manuel:
Pegula hasn’t quite been at her best this year, with injuries playing an obvious role in that, and Svitolina is a very difficult opponent at this stage for sure. It should be quite a close match, decided by small details.
Predictions: Svitolina in 3
Yesh:
Pegula hasn’t been fully healthy at all this year, and it’s affecting her even when she can take to the court. But she looks solid now, which means she can beat almost anyone. Svitolina, meanwhile, has been playing with a clean controlled aggression since she returned from pregnancy. I think she’ll be able to outwork Pegula at the end of a long, difficult match.
Predictions: Svitolina in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
