Three qualifying final picks from the WTA French Open today, with a main draw spot on the line in each match. Let's get into it.
WTA French Open Qualifying Predictions
Maja Chwalinska vs Suzan Lamens
Head-to-head: Chwalinska 1-0 Lamens
Chwalinska holds the only previous meeting between these two, and at 116 in the world she's the higher-ranked player coming in. She's been building some real consistency this year and clay is a surface she's always been comfortable on, coming through the juniors as one of the more technically sound baseliners of her generation.
Lamens isn't without weapons, but she tends to struggle when opponents can absorb her pace and redirect, and Chwalinska does that well. I feel like this goes three sets, but Chwalinska finds a way through, all things considered.
Prediction: Chwalinska in 3
Ashlyn Krueger vs Mary Stoiana
Head-to-head: First meeting
Krueger is ranked 107 and has been one of the more quietly impressive Americans on tour this season. Stoiana is a solid player but she's 40 spots further down the rankings and hasn't shown the kind of form that would suggest she can flip this. Hard to see this being competitive at all given the ranking gap, and Krueger's movement on slower surfaces gives her a clear structural advantage in longer rallies.
Krueger wins this, though don't be surprised if Stoiana pushes her to a third.
Prediction: Krueger in 3
Polina Kudermetova vs Xiyu Wang
Head-to-head: First meeting
This is the most interesting pick of the three. Wang comes in ranked below Kudermetova at 148, but she's a crafty player and clay tends to suit her flat, angled hitting more than you'd think. That said, Kudermetova has the ranking advantage, but she's been inconsistent and hasn't put together a run that would make you confident backing her here.
Wang in 3 is the call, and I think the slow conditions in Paris, which have historically favored patient ball-strikers, will work in her favor throughout.
Prediction: Wang in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire