Time to kick off main draw action at the 2024 WTA Rothesay Classic in Birmingham. Last year’s semifinalist Anastasia Potapova takes on qualifier Elina Avanesyan, while Leylah Fernandez will try to look for some much-needed grass experience against Sara Sorribes Tormo. We also predict the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article. Who do you think will come out on top?
WTA Birmingham Day 1 Predictions
Lucia Bronzetti vs Magdalena Frech
Head-to-head: Bronzetti 1-0
Lucia Bronzetti defeated Magdalena Frech in Indian Wells earlier this year, but grass is usually where the Pole is at her strongest. That was the case last week when she made the quarterfinals in Nottingham, losing to Katie Boulter. Slick, low-bouncing courts suit the slice of Frech and give her any force on the groundstrokes. She’s also an excellent mover on this surface and with the conditions being very different than in Indian Wells (pretty much the polar opposite), this one is on her racket.
Prediction: Frech in 2
Anastasia Potapova vs Elina Avanesyan
Head-to-head: First meeting
There is a bit of a correlation between success on both natural surfaces, especially for players as heavy in the variety department as Elina Avanesyan. Coming off the fourth-round run at Roland Garros, the 21-year-old posted impressively clean victories over Emily Appleton and Caroline Dolehide in the qualifying. Is that enough to make her the favorite over Anastasia Potapova? Not really as the seventh seed made the semifinals here last year, but this might be more open than it seems.
Prediction: Potapova in 3
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Lin Zhu vs Sorana Cirstea
Head-to-head: First meeting
Sorana Cirstea has a lot of grass court experience, but her record on the surface is very so-and-so. It’s more surprising how Lin Zhu never really made an impact on this surface, despite having a game that usually shines in quicker conditions. The Chinese was trying to change that last year when she made the semifinals in Birmingham. It seems like she’s not in that kind of form right now though, hasn’t won a match since the middle of April with seven losses in a row already.
Prediction: Cirstea in 3
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Leylah Fernandez vs Sara Sorribes Tormo
Head-to-head: Fernandez 2-1
Which one of these two is the superior grass-courter? It’s not an easy question to answer. Sara Sorribes Tormo gets a lot out of her footwork on this surface, but it’s not like her grinding playstyle is the most natural fit for these courts and she might not be able to track down everything thrown at her like she can on clay. Meanwhile, Leylah Fernandez has only played seven professional matches on grass so far. At least some of them have told us she’s likely completely fine on the lawn though.
Prediction: Fernandez in 3
Main Photo Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports