A few first-round picks from Paris today, with a couple of interesting matchups where the ranking doesn't tell the whole story. Let's get into it.
WTA Paris Masters Predictions
Anna Blinkova vs Leylah Annie Fernandez
Head-to-head: Blinkova 1-2 Fernandez
Fernandez is the clear favorite here and the ranking gap reflects that, but Blinkova is the kind of player who can make things messy on clay with her flat, aggressive hitting. She's capable of a good performance on any given day and she did take one of those three head-to-heads, so she's not a complete unknown quantity to Fernandez.
That said, Fernandez has been one of the more consistent players on tour this year and clay suits her movement and her fight. I think this goes three sets, but Fernandez finds a way through.
Prediction: Fernandez in 3
McCartney Kessler vs Yulia Putintseva
Head-to-head: Kessler 0-1 Putintseva
Putintseva is ranked lower here but don't let that fool you. She's a clay-court specialist who makes every single rally uncomfortable with her slice and her angles, and Kessler, for all her power, has never looked fully at home on this surface. The one previous meeting, played on an similarly slow indoor surface, already went Putintseva's way, and I feel like the slow conditions in Paris will only drag Kessler further into rallies she doesn't want to be in.
Prediction: Putintseva in 3
Talia Gibson vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich
Head-to-head: First meeting
Gibson has had a decent season and her ranking suggests she's no pushover, but Sasnovich is a wily clay-court veteran who knows exactly how to construct a point on this surface. Hard to see this being competitive at all, and Gibson is young enough to not feel the occasion, but Sasnovich's experience on clay and her ability to vary pace should be the difference here, all things considered.
Prediction: Sasnovich in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
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