We've got three first-round picks from the Nottingham grass to get into today, headlined by Emma Navarro taking on Sara Bejlek in what's become a fairly one-sided rivalry. Let's see who comes through.
WTA Lexus Nottingham Open Predictions
Sara Bejlek vs Emma Navarro
Head-to-head: Bejlek 0-3 Navarro
Three meetings, three losses for Bejlek, and there's no real reason to think this one plays out differently. Navarro is one of the better grass-court movers on the WTA tour and her timing on low balls is genuinely impressive, which matters a lot on a surface like this. Bejlek is a solid player who can hang in rallies, but she's never looked close in any of these meetings.
Navarro wins this and I'd actually be a little surprised if it goes three sets.
Prediction: Navarro in 3
Marie Bouzkova vs Tereza Valentova
Head-to-head: Bouzkova 1-0 Valentova
Two Czechs on grass, and Bouzkova has the experience edge here by a fair margin. She's a natural grass-court player, comfortable coming forward and mixing up her game, and Valentova at 47 in the world is still finding her feet at this level. Hard to see this being competitive at all, and the slice backhand in particular tends to be a nightmare for players who haven't played much on the surface.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 3
Maya Joint vs Yuliia Starodubtseva
Head-to-head: First meeting
Joint is Australian and has grown up playing on fast surfaces, which should translate reasonably well to Nottingham grass, and playing at home in Britain always adds something extra. That said, Starodubtseva is a capable player but hasn't made much noise on this surface specifically. I feel like Joint's comfort on faster courts carries her through here, all things considered.
Prediction: Joint in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
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