We've got three picks from the first round of the WTA Open delle Puglie in Foggia today, with temperatures hitting 91°F under clear skies and some tight matchups between players who are very close in ranking. These kinds of draws are always hard to call, so let's get into it.
WTA Open delle Puglie Predictions
Leyre Romero Gormaz vs Xiaodi You
Head-to-head: First meeting
Romero Gormaz has the ranking edge here, and as a Spanish player she's grown up on clay and is generally more comfortable on the surface than You, who has never really made her mark on it. You has had a few decent results this year but nothing that suggests she can handle a clay specialist in these conditions. I think Romero Gormaz takes it, though You will make her work for it.
Prediction: Gormaz in 3
Tatiana Prozorova vs Nuria Brancaccio
Head-to-head: First meeting
Brancaccio is the higher-ranked player and has the home crowd in her corner, which matters more than people give it credit for at these smaller ITF-level events. That said, Prozorova has been a steady presence on clay and the rankings are close enough that this could go either way. Brancaccio's support from the crowd could lift her in tight moments, but Prozorova should still find a way to get through here, all things considered.
Prediction: Prozorova in 3
Varvara Lepchenko vs Iryna Shymanovich
Head-to-head: Lepchenko 0-1 Shymanovich
Lepchenko is ranked higher and has had a much longer career, but Shymanovich already has a win over her and that has to count for something when you're talking about players this close in level. The heat in Foggia today, which is forecast to stay above 90°F through the afternoon, will slow the balls down and keep points long and that feels like it suits Shymanovich's game. Hard to back against someone who's already beaten you once at a similar stage.
Prediction: Shymanovich in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Kobe Li/Nexpher Images via ZUMA Press Wire