WTA Lyon Day 2 Predictions Including Brengle vs Zhang
Some very exciting matches await the spectators at the WTA Open 6e Sens Metropole on Day 2 in Lyon. Alycia Parks will look to get over the disappointing loss in Australian Open qualifying, while one of the best performers of the main draw in Melbourne, Shuai Zhang, takes on Madison Brengle. We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article. Who do you think will go through to the second round?
WTA Lyon Day 2 Predictions Erika Andreeva vs Anna Blinkova
Head-to-head: Andreeva 2-0
Erika Andreeva won both of their events last year fairly comfortably, but this one should in theory be much tighter. Anna Blinkova started the year very well, reaching the semi-finals at the WTA 250 in Hobart and defeating Madison Keys at the Australian Open. More importantly, the eldest of the Russians is an excellent indoor player with three finals under the roof last year, including a title at the WTA 250 in Cluj. On these courts, her arsenal may prove too much for Andreeva.
Prediction: Blinkova in 3
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Alycia Parks vs. Julia Grabher
Head-to-head: Parks 1-0
Speaking of scary weapons, Alycia Parks is one of the first players that comes to mind. The 22-year-old finished her 2022 campaign on an incredible high, with back-to-back WTA 125K titles in Andorra and Limoges. However, she disappointed at the Australian Open, blowing herself off the court (70 unforced errors) in the second round of the qualifying draw. Julia Grabher is a good player, but she will struggle to handle Parks’ serve and this match should only be on the American’s racket.
Prediction: Park in 2
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Ana Bogdan vs Clara Burel
Head-to-head: First meeting
Clara Burel is a very talented player with a real rocket up her forehand, but she just can’t seem to start stringing together a few good runs in a row. As a result, the 21-year-old is currently just outside the Top 100 of the WTA rankings. She has previously done well at Lyon, reaching the quarter-finals two years ago and her Australian Open campaign has certainly been a positive start to the year. At home, she should have a chance to pull off this upset against Ana Bogdan.
Prediction: Burel in 3
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Madison Brengle vs Shuai Zhang
Head-to-head: First meeting
Shuai Zhang had a good run to the fourth round at the Australian Open, before being easily taken down by Karolina Pliskova. The Chinese really benefited from the new Dunlop balls, which gave the advantage to flatter hitters. Indoor conditions do it too and she is the defending champion in Lyon, having clinched the title some 11 months ago. Meanwhile, Madison Brengle is yet to win a game this year and it’s not a perfect draw for her to stop the losing streak.
Prediction: Zhang in 2
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