We've got three second-round picks from the WTA Paris Masters today, and there's actually more to dig into here than the rankings suggest. Navarro faces a tricky American counterpuncher, Keys gets a wildcard from Madagascar, and Sasnovich has a fascinating H2H edge over Blinkova. Who comes through?
WTA Paris Masters Predictions
Emma Navarro vs Katie Volynets
Head-to-head: Navarro 1-0 Volynets
Navarro is the better player on paper and leads their only previous meeting, but Volynets is a real grinder who makes life uncomfortable and won't go away quietly. Navarro has had a solid year but clay isn't where she's looked most at home and Volynets is exactly the kind of player who drags you into long, scrappy rallies on this surface.
I think Navarro gets there, but this is a three-setter kind of match. Volynets will make her work for it.
Prediction: Navarro in 3
Madison Keys vs Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah
Head-to-head: First meeting
Rakotomanga Rajaonah is ranked 159th in the world and this is their first meeting, so there's not a lot to say here. Keys has been one of the best players on tour this year and her ball-striking on clay is genuinely flat and heavy in a way that gives lower-ranked players almost nothing to work with.
Hard to see this being competitive at all.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs Anna Blinkova
Head-to-head: Sasnovich 4-0 Blinkova
Four wins from four is a remarkable record, and it's the kind of H2H that gets in a player's head whether they admit it or not. Blinkova is ranked higher and has been the more consistent player recently, but she simply hasn't found an answer for Sasnovich across four tries on multiple surfaces. That's not a coincidence at this point.
That said, Sasnovich is outside the top 100 for a reason, and Blinkova should have enough to push this to three sets at least. It feels like Sasnovich finds a way again, though, all things considered.
Prediction: Sasnovich in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © PI via ZUMA Press Wire