The second-round starts on day three at WTA Cincinnati with the big guns entering the fray in Ohio. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Elena Rybakina vs Renata Zarazua. But who will book their spot in the round of 32?
WTA Cincinnati Day 3 Predictions
Elise Mertens vs Clervie Ngounoue
Head-to-head: first meeting
Elise Mertens lost a close match to Anna Kalinskaya in Montreal, but she has been in good form over the last two months and will be looking to make a solid start here. Mertens is a versatile player and can play her best tennis on any surface. Her experience makes her the favourite in this match against Clervie Ngounoue, who is a rising talent and won her first tour-level match in the first round. It was her third straight three-setter, which shows her resilience. The American player has shown her talent, but it will be difficult to maintain the high level that Mertens will demand of her.
Prediction: Mertens in 2
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Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Aoi Ito
Head-to-head: first meeting
34-year-old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is making her 12th main draw appearance at the Cincinnati Open and is defending quarterfinal points from last year. This is Pavlyuchenkova’s best surface, but she is on a four-match losing streak on hard courts and will be desperate to end the streak. I expect her to improve on her performance from last week against Eva Lys and get the win here against the Qualifier, Aoi Ito, who is in good form but doesn’t have much experience against big hitters and will have to do a lot of defending in this match.
Prediction: Pavlyuchenkova in 3
Leylah Fernandez vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
Head-to-head: first meeting
Leylah Fernandez suffered a bad loss on paper in Montreal, but it was far from a surprise, as she was exhausted after her win at the Citi Open. She should be fresh and raring to make another deep run and make the most of her form. She reached the quarterfinal last year, where she lost a close match to Jessica Pegula. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro will be a very tough opponent as she is riding high on confidence after her quarterfinal run in Montreal. However, she will need to keep the double faults in check if she wants to have a chance in this match. I am going with Fernandez, but it should be a tight match.
Prediction: Fernandez in 3
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Aryna Sabalenka vs Marketa Vondrousova
Head-to-head: Sabalenka 4-4 Vondrousova
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will play her first match since Wimbledon, and it’s not going to be an easy match. Marketa Vondrousova has defeated Sabalenka in their last two meetings, including a straight-sets win on grass a couple of months ago. However, Sabalenka has won their last three matches on hard courts, and she will be eager for revenge. The courts are playing slower than last year, giving Vondrousova a better chance of making the match close. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see an upset here, but the world #1 should have just about enough.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 3
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
