Three picks from the first round of the WTA Makarska Open today, played under clear skies and pleasant conditions on the Croatian coast. Some interesting matchups here, so let's get into it.
WTA Makarska Open Predictions
Katarzyna Kawa vs Maya Joint
Head-to-head: First meeting
Joint's ranking of 52 makes her the clear favorite on paper, but Kawa is a seasoned clay-court player who's spent most of her career grinding on this surface, and at 139 in the world she's still dangerous enough at this level of event. Joint has shown flashes of real quality but she's at a point in her career where consistency is still a question mark, and a tricky first-round opponent at a smaller 125-level event is exactly where upsets happen.
I think this goes the distance and Kawa's experience on clay gets her over the line in three.
Prediction: Kawa in 3
Simona Waltert vs Teodora Kostovic
Head-to-head: First meeting
Waltert is ranked 91st in the world and Kostovic is 187th, and the gap between them is real. Waltert has been building steadily on clay and should have too much firepower for a player still trying to establish herself on the tour. Hard to see Kostovic taking many games off Waltert here.
Waltert wins this, though clay has a funny way of making things closer than they should be, so pencil in three sets just in case.
Prediction: Waltert in 3
Andrea Lazaro Garcia vs Laura Samson
Head-to-head: Garcia 0-1 Samson
Samson leads their only previous meeting, and with Garcia ranked just 15 spots above her at 140, this is about as level a matchup as you'll find in a first round. The rankings suggest neither player has been in great form recently, and on clay at this level it usually comes down to who competes harder on the day. That said, Samson already has the head-to-head edge going in, and that little mental advantage can matter in tight moments.
I feel like Samson replicates that win here, but it won't be clean.
Prediction: Samson in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Mark Willoughby/ZUMA Press Wire