We've got one pick from the WTA Saint-Malo quarter-finals today, under overcast skies and a cool 57°F in Brittany. Yuan and Blinkova are close enough in ranking and form that this one could genuinely go either way, so let's get into it.
WTA Open 35 de Saint-Malo Predictions
Yue Yuan vs Anna Blinkova
Head-to-head: Yuan 1-0 Blinkova
Yuan holds the edge in their only previous meeting, and on clay in cool, heavy conditions like today's, her steady baseline game tends to hold up well. She's not flashy but she's become very good at not panicking in long rallies and that kind of patience is exactly what you need on a slow surface in this kind of weather.
Blinkova is a perfectly capable clay courter and at #91 she's no pushover, but she can get streaky and when things aren't going her way she has a tendency to press. That said, I think the conditions and the head-to-head, which includes a previous meeting on a similarly slow surface, lean just enough in Yuan's favor here and should still find a way to get through here, though don't be surprised if this one goes the distance.
Prediction: Yuan in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © PI via ZUMA Press Wire