We've got three picks from the first round of qualifying at The HSBC Championships in London, and there's at least one result here that looks like it could go against the grain. Let's get into it.
WTA The HSBC Championships - London Predictions
Elsa Jacquemot vs Hanyu Guo
Head-to-head: First meeting
Jacquemot comes in ranked over a hundred places above Guo and has been a consistent presence on the WTA tour for a couple of years now, which is more than can be said for her opponent at this level. Grass isn't Jacquemot's most natural surface but she's a solid all-around player and this is exactly the kind of match she should be winning, even if it takes her three sets to get there.
Prediction: Jacquemot in 3
Priscilla Hon vs Polina Kudermetova
Head-to-head: Hon 0-1 Kudermetova
Kudermetova holds the only previous meeting between these two and comes in ranked higher, so she's the favorite here. Hon is a capable player but she's been hovering in the 140s for a while now and hasn't really broken through at this level. Kudermetova should have enough to close this one out, though grass qualifying tends to be unpredictable and three sets feels likely.
Prediction: Kudermetova in 3
Antonia Ruzic vs Aoi Ito
Head-to-head: Ruzic 1-0 Ito
This is the interesting one. Ruzic is ranked 64th in the world and already has a win over Ito, so on paper she's the clear favorite. That said, Ito, ranked 234th, is actually a pretty natural grass-court player, and low-ranked players who are comfortable on the surface can cause real problems in qualifying on this tour. Ruzic is the better player overall but something feels off about backing her here, and the pick is going with the upset.
Prediction: Ito in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Stephane Thomas/ZUMA Press Wire