Wimbledon qualifying is here, and we've got three picks from the first round to get into. These early rounds are always tricky to call, with rankings meaning a little less than usual and players who've specifically prepared for grass showing up ready. Let's see who we think makes it through.
WTA Wimbledon Predictions
Xiyu Wang vs Hanyu Guo
Head-to-head: Wang 2-0 Guo
Wang holds a perfect record over Guo and comes in ranked 73 spots higher, so on paper this looks straightforward. But qualifying on grass is its own thing, and Guo has shown she can compete on this surface, and the two previous meetings don't tell us much about how either player has developed since. Wang's had her struggles this season and hasn't exactly been playing her best tennis lately.
I think this one goes the distance. Guo's the pick here, which says something about how inconsistent Wang has looked recently.
Prediction: Guo in 3
Maria Timofeeva vs Whitney Osuigwe
Head-to-head: First meeting
Timofeeva is ranked nearly 90 spots above Osuigwe and has been the more consistent performer on tour in recent months. Osuigwe is a former junior world number one and the talent's always been there, but the ranking gap is real and Timofeeva's baseline game translates well enough to grass to get through a qualifying opener without too many problems.
Hard to see this being competitive at all.
Prediction: Timofeeva in 2
Polina Iatcenko vs Leyre Romero Gormaz
Head-to-head: Iatcenko 1-0 Gormaz
Romero Gormaz is the higher-ranked player here, but Iatcenko leads their only previous meeting and feel like she's the one with more grass-court upside between the two. Romero Gormaz is a clay-court player at heart and this surface doesn't really play to her strengths and that could be the difference across three sets. That said, it's close on paper, but the surface gives Iatcenko the edge she needs, all things considered.
Prediction: Iatcenko in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
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