A few picks from the first round of the WTA Ladies Open in Figueira da Foz today, with overcast skies and mild temperatures around 19°C keeping things comfortable out there. All three are first meetings, so there's not a lot of history to lean on, but let's see what we've got.
WTA Ladies Open - Figueira da Foz Predictions
Yeon Woo Ku vs Lucrezia Stefanini
Head-to-head: First meeting
Stefanini comes in ranked a little higher and has been a solid performer on hard courts at this level, but Ku has been quietly putting together some decent results and the ranking gap here is small enough that this one is genuinely hard to call. These tight matchups between players outside the top 150 often come down to who's sharper on the day, and I think Ku finds a way to grind this one out.
Prediction: Ku in 3
Matilde Jorge vs Jil Teichmann
Head-to-head: First meeting
Jorge is playing at home, which matters, but Teichmann is the better player right now and the ranking gap of over 130 spots is hard to ignore. Teichmann's lefty game creates problems on hard courts and Jorge, ranked 260th, hasn't shown she can handle that kind of quality consistently. Hard to see this being competitive at all, home crowd or not, and Teichmann takes this.
Prediction: Teichmann in 3
Susan Bandecchi vs Vera Zvonareva
Head-to-head: First meeting
Zvonareva is a former top-10 player and a Grand Slam finalist, but that was a long time ago and at 39 she's ranked 309th for a reason. Bandecchi is 138 spots above her and has been the more active player on tour recently. The experience factor counts for something, and I feel like Zvonareva keeps it competitive for a set. That said, Bandecchi should have enough to close it out, all things considered.
Prediction: Bandecchi in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Rob Prange/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire