A few first-round picks from Birmingham to get into today, with the grass season officially underway and some interesting matchups on the schedule. Who do you think makes it through?
WTA Lexus Birmingham Open Predictions
Alexandra Eala vs Alina Charaeva
Head-to-head: Eala 1-1 Charaeva
Eala is the higher-ranked player and has had a strong rise up the rankings, but Charaeva has already shown she can beat her, and grass is a funny surface that tends to reward players who punch through the ball early rather than build points. Charaeva fits that profile a bit better, and at 1-1 in the head-to-head there's no real psychological edge either way.
I think this goes to three sets and Charaeva nicks it. Eala is talented but she hasn't played enough grass to feel truly settled on it yet, and that could be the difference here.
Prediction: Charaeva in 3
Tatjana Maria vs Linda Fruhvirtova
Head-to-head: Maria 2-0 Fruhvirtova
Maria on grass is a completely different proposition to Maria anywhere else. Her slice, her net game, her ability to disrupt rhythm, it all clicks on this surface in a way that makes her genuinely difficult to beat. Fruhvirtova is ranked 149th right now and hasn't found her best form and a 2-0 head-to-head deficit against someone like Maria on grass is a lot to overcome.
Prediction: Maria in 3
Nao Hibino vs Janice Tjen
Head-to-head: Hibino 1-0 Tjen
Tjen is ranked 40th and comes in as the clear favorite on paper, but Hibino has beaten her before and grass isn't always kind to players who rely on consistency from the baseline, which is very much Tjen's game. Hibino's flatter, more aggressive ball-striking can work well on this surface, and at 186 in the world she has nothing to lose. That said, Tjen should still find a way to get through here, all things considered, and I feel like she causes real problems from the first game.
Prediction: Hibino in 2
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Pro Sports Images