The WTA Cincinnati Open will have another interesting day of tennis with 14 second-round matches being played. Aryna Sabalenka, the #3 seed, and Jessica Pegula are in action. As always, we here at LWOT will offer our predictions for every match on the slate for Day 3. But who will advance to the next round?
WTA Cincinnati Day 3 Predictions
Diana Shnaider vs Ashlyn Krueger
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Diana Shnaider has made huge strides since June and is now a top-20 player. She defeated Shuai Zhang in straight sets to win her first match at the Cincinnati Open. Her shot selection has been brilliant recently and she will be tough to stop this week. In the first round, Ashlyn Krueger defeated Donna Vekic, another big scalp. Krueger has won seven of her last 10 matches on hard courts including qualifying. Her level has gone up recently and her first serve is a weapon. It’s going to be an interesting match between two 20-year-old talents. Krueger is a tough match-up on these fast courts but Shnaider is a more stable player and should win.
Prediction: Shnaider in 3
Elina Svitolina vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Elina Svitolina got through her first-round match in three sets against Yafan Wang. Svitolina has had an up-and-down run recently, with solid performances but not quite the results she might have hoped for. She hasn’t won consecutive matches in Cincinnati since 2018 but has a great chance to do so against her next opponent. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro got the opportunity to play as a lucky loser and she grabbed it with both hands. Despite hitting 14 double faults she emerged victorious against Lucia Bronzetti. However, that sort of error-ridden match won’t cut it against Svitolina.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Jessica Pegula vs Karolina Muchova
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Jessica Pegula will be brimming with confidence after successfully defending her National Bank Open title. Pegula lost just one set the whole week and was a well-deserved winner. She has reached the quarterfinals twice at the Cincinnati Open but she would aim to win the title. Karolina Muchova had a good win against Dayana Yastremska in the first round. Not the cleanest match from her side but she will take it. Muchova is defending a lot of points this week and will drop outside the Top 50 if she loses to Pegula. Aside from a bit of tiredness, I can’t see Pegula losing this in her current form.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Head-to-Head: First meeting
Aryna Sabalenka has not played to her usual high standards recently. In Toronto, it was largely due to the windy conditions and she struggled a lot to deal with it against Amanda Anisimova. The conditions are much better here and she has a good opening round match to get into rhythm. Elisabetta Cocciaretto has struggled for form recently so her win over Montgomery in the first round is huge for her confidence. However, she’s so unlucky to face Sabalenka next.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
