Three qualifying matches to get into from Athens today, with temperatures hitting 90°F under clear skies, and the heat could absolutely be a factor in how these play out. Let's see who we think gets through.
WTA Athens Open Qualifying Predictions
Lilli Tagger vs Madison Sieg
Head-to-head: First meeting
Tagger is ranked inside the top 100 and Sieg is sitting at 397, so the gap here is real. Tagger has the kind of experience and consistency that players at Sieg's level just don't have yet, and in qualifying on a hot day like this, that matters. I think Tagger gets through, though these first-round qualifying matches can be scrappy and Sieg may well push her to three.
Prediction: Tagger in 3
Aoi Ito vs Yasmine Mansouri
Head-to-head: First meeting
This one's interesting because Ito is the higher-ranked player at 228 versus Mansouri's 389, but rankings in qualifying don't always tell the whole story. Mansouri has been on something of a run lately at the lower levels of the tour, and I feel like she's got enough game on hard courts to make this uncomfortable for Ito. Could easily go three sets either way, but Mansouri gets the nod.
Prediction: Mansouri in 3
Viktoria Morvayova vs Franziska Sziedat
Head-to-head: First meeting
Morvayova at 303 against a player ranked 684 should be fairly straightforward on paper and the ranking gap is big enough that you'd back her comfortably. Hard to see this being competitive at all, and the Athens heat won't make either player's life easy. Morvayova gets there, all things considered, but probably not without some resistance.
Prediction: Morvayova in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Rob Prange/AFP7 via ZUMA Wire