Three picks from the WTA Parma Ladies Open qualifying finals today, with rain threatening at 54°F and a high that might not save us from delays. These are lower-ranked players fighting for main draw spots, so the margins are razor thin, and upsets are very much on the table. Let's get into it.
WTA Parma Ladies Open Predictions
Susan Bandecchi vs Sapfo Sakellaridi
Head-to-head: First meeting
Bandecchi is ranked almost 180 spots above Sakellaridi and has been a consistent presence on the ITF and lower WTA circuit on clay, so the ranking gap here does most of the talking. First meetings can be unpredictable, but Sakellaridi hasn't shown much at this level yet and the surface doesn't seem to play to any particular strengths she's demonstrated recently.
Bandecchi should be comfortable enough to handle whatever comes her way, even if it takes three sets to get there, all things considered.
Prediction: Bandecchi in 3
Gabriela Ce vs Deborah Chiesa
Head-to-head: Ce 3-1 Chiesa
This is the interesting one. Ce leads the head-to-head 3-1 and is ranked nearly 170 spots higher, so on paper she's the clear pick. But Chiesa has been playing better tennis lately and clay suits her well, and we're going with the upset here. Sometimes the lower-ranked player in a qualifying final is just in better form, and that feels like the case today.
Ce's ranking advantage is real, but it doesn't always translate when confidence is low and the surface is slow. Chiesa in three.
Prediction: Chiesa in 3
Zhibek Kulambayeva vs Nicole Fossa Huergo
Head-to-head: Kulambayeva 2-2 Huergo
A perfectly level head-to-head makes this one genuinely hard to call, but Kulambayeva has the ranking edge and has been the more active player on clay recently. A 2-2 split, which usually signals these two know each other's games inside out, usually means these two know each other well enough that the match goes the distance, and I think three sets is the likely outcome again here. That said, Kulambayeva's ranking and current form give her just enough of an edge to close it out.
Prediction: Kulambayeva in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Rob Prange/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire