Three qualifying final picks from Paris today, with a couple of rankings upsets on the cards if our predictions land. Let's get into it.
WTA French Open Qualifying Predictions
Polina Kudermetova vs Xiyu Wang
Head-to-head: First meeting
Kudermetova has the ranking edge here, but Wang has been one of the more underrated players on tour for a while now and her game travels well on clay. She's patient, she constructs points well and she's become so good at not panicking when rallies extend. Kudermetova isn't someone who'll blow her off the court.
First meetings can go either way, but I feel like Wang's consistency over longer matches gives her the better shot at getting through a tight three-setter, all things considered.
Prediction: Wang in 3
Lulu Sun vs Claire Liu
Head-to-head: Sun 1-0 Liu
Sun holds the head-to-head and ranks 70 places above Liu, so picking Liu straight in two here is a bold call. That said, Sun has had a difficult stretch lately and Liu, when she's locked in on clay, can be very hard to break down. Sun's game is built more for faster surfaces and she can look a bit rushed when the ball sits up on clay.
Liu takes it.
Prediction: Liu in 2
Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs Marina Bassols Ribera
Head-to-head: First meeting
Bassols Ribera is a decent clay-court player but hard to see this being competitive at all, given that Sasnovich has serious experience at this level and knows how to grind through qualifying matches. She's been around long enough to not get rattled by a tricky opponent in a one-off situation, and that experience matters when a spot in the main draw is on the line.
Sasnovich gets through, though probably not without dropping a set.
Prediction: Sasnovich in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © PI via ZUMA Press Wire