A couple of qualifying final picks from Berlin today, where the grass is waiting and a spot in the main draw is on the line. Let's get into it.
WTA Berlin Tennis Open Predictions
Diane Parry vs Ella Seidel
Head-to-head: Parry 0-1 Seidel
Seidel beat Parry before, and on home soil that win will feel significant, but this is a tricky surface for a 95-ranked player to pull off another upset. Parry is the higher-ranked player for a reason and has been quietly solid this season and grass at least doesn't punish her the way faster hard courts sometimes do.
That said, Seidel is German and playing at home in Berlin, and that kind of crowd support on a surface with some unpredictability can make things awkward. I think Parry gets through, but the h2h and the crowd make this a match to watch rather than a foregone conclusion.
Prediction: Parry in 3
Maria Timofeeva vs Renata Zarazua
Head-to-head: First meeting
Zarazua is the higher-ranked player here, but Timofeeva has been one of the more interesting players to follow on the WTA tour this season and the ranking gap is narrow enough that this isn't a mismatch. First meetings on grass can go either way depending on how quickly each player adjusts, and neither has a huge grass pedigree to lean on.
Timofeeva gets the nod here. The conditions should suit her well enough, all things considered.
Prediction: Timofeeva in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Marcin Cholewinski/ZUMA Press Wire