A nice day for tennis in Parma, with clear skies and temperatures around 22°C, and we've got three second-round picks to get into. Some interesting matchups here, including what could be a real upset in the making. Who do you think comes through?
WTA Parma Ladies Open Predictions
Hanne Vandewinkel vs Dayana Yastremska
Head-to-head: First meeting
Yastremska is ranked 43 places higher and has the bigger game, but clay has never really been her best surface and her results on it are inconsistent at best. Vandewinkel is a young Belgian who's been climbing steadily and earned her spot here, and on slow red clay the conditions don't really play to Yastremska's flat, aggressive hitting.
This is the kind of match where rankings don't tell the whole story. I think Vandewinkel keeps it tight, makes Yastremska work for everything and takes it in three.
Prediction: Vandewinkel in 3
Solana Sierra vs Kaja Juvan
Head-to-head: First meeting
Sierra is the higher-ranked player here and has been a solid performer on clay throughout her career, with her game built around consistency and heavy topspin that tends to suit slower conditions. Juvan has the tools but hasn't been ranking up results lately, and Sierra feels like the more dependable clay-courter of the two right now.
Hard to see this being competitive at all. Sierra in 3.
Prediction: Sierra in 3
Yue Yuan vs Mayar Sherif
Head-to-head: Yuan 2-2 Sherif
An even rivalry, and Sherif is one of those players who always seems dangerous on clay given how much she loves the surface. That said, Yuan has pulled ahead in this head-to-head before and at essentially the same ranking, the tiebreaker has to come down to recent form and feel. These two know each other well enough that neither will have many surprises left.
Feels like a long three-setter, with Yuan just doing enough, all things considered.
Prediction: Yuan in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Marcin Cholewinski/ZUMA Press Wire