We've got three picks from the Birmingham qualifying final today, all of them on grass and all of them tight enough that none of the favorites can afford a slow start. Who do you think makes it through to the main draw?
WTA Lexus Birmingham Open Predictions
Rebeka Masarova vs Celine Naef
Head-to-head: First meeting
Masarova has the ranking edge here and has generally been the more consistent player over the past year, but grass is the one surface where rankings and clay form don't always translate cleanly. Naef is young and has the kind of flat, clean ball-striking that can work well on a fast surface, so this won't be a walkover.
That said, Masarova's experience in deciding sets and her comfort in close matches should be enough to see her through, all things considered. I think this goes three, but she gets there.
Prediction: Masarova in 3
Mananchaya Sawangkaew vs Aoi Ito
Head-to-head: Sawangkaew 2-2 Ito
A genuinely even rivalry, and on a surface neither player has a ton of history on, the H2H being split right down the middle feels about right. Sawangkaew has the ranking advantage and has been the more active player on tour recently and on fast grass the serve tends to matter, and she's the bigger server of the two.
Ito will make it competitive, but Sawangkaew in three feels like the most likely outcome here.
Prediction: Sawangkaew in 3
Tereza Martincova vs Mingge Xu
Head-to-head: First meeting
Martincova is actually a player who suits grass pretty well. She's aggressive off both wings and doesn't mind shortening points, which matters a lot on this surface. Xu is the home favorite and that always counts for something, but the rankings between them are almost identical and hard to see this being competitive enough to cause Martincova real trouble.
Still, Martincova's grass-court instincts give her the better shot here and she's been around long enough to handle the pressure of a qualifying final. Martincova in three.
Prediction: Martincova in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
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