A few interesting second round picks from the WTA Paris Masters today, and honestly two of these three feel like they could go either way. We've got our predictions below.
WTA Paris Masters Predictions
Anastasia Zakharova vs Katie Boulter
Head-to-head: Zakharova 0-1 Boulter
Boulter's one win in this head-to-head came on hard court, and clay is genuinely not her best surface. She's a flat hitter who likes quick points and the slower conditions in Paris tend to drag her into longer rallies she'd rather avoid. Zakharova isn't a household name but she's been solid this season and at 79 in the world she's no pushover.
That said, Boulter has enough firepower to get through even on clay when her serve is working, and Zakharova hasn't done anything yet to suggest she can consistently hurt players ranked in the 60s. I think this goes three sets but Boulter finds a way.
Prediction: Boulter in 3
Yulia Putintseva vs Veronika Podrez
Head-to-head: First meeting
Putintseva has been a consistent top-100 player for years but she's never been someone who dominates on clay, and Podrez, ranked 152, has clearly been playing some good tennis recently to get here. First meetings are always a bit of a wildcard and without any head-to-head data it's hard to know how the styles match up.
Podrez in three feels like the right call based on current form, though this one is far from certain.
Prediction: Podrez in 3
Diane Parry vs Chloe Paquet
Head-to-head: Parry 1-3 Paquet
This is the most interesting match of the three picks. Paquet leads the head-to-head 3-1 despite sitting, remarkably for a player of her current ranking, 182 spots below Parry in the rankings right now, and that kind of dominance in a rivalry usually means something real in terms of how the styles match up. Parry is a comfortable clay-court player as a Frenchwoman who grew up on the surface, but Paquet has clearly had her number whenever they've met.
Hard to see the ranking gap mattering here at all. One player has simply figured the other out too thoroughly for that to change.
Prediction: Paquet in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Irina R. Hipolito/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire