Daily match picks

Second round

Alexandrova (2.1) v Ferro (1.88)

Due to start at 3 pm

This will be their first meeting.

Overall results slightly favour Alexandrova in the last 12 months. Ferro’s 2020 results are a little better. Ferro is stronger on clay.

Ferro reached the quarter finals in Palermo last year. She won the title in Lausanne and a couple of ITF clay titles. She easily beat Nadia Podoroska in the last round. She played 9 exhibition matches during Covid. She won all over them. All of them were on hard courts. She had 2 wins over Kristina Mladenovic and a straight sets win over Alize Cornet.

Alexandrova has only played clay exhibition matches during the lockdown. Her only wins from her 6 matches were against 491st ranked Monika Kilnarova and Marketa Vondrousova. This week Alexandrova beat Mladenovic in 3 sets as slight underdog. She was broken 5 times in the opening set! A third round finish at the French Open in May 2019 was her only decent clay results on the main tour.

We have a chance of 3 sets but I have to favour Ferro to win. Back her around 2.20. Back her if she loses set 1.

Update: Alexandrova made the better start and took an early break lead. Ferro fought back. The set was very tight and a late break gave it to Ferro.
Alexandrova had a medical timeout on a back problem at the start of set 2.
Ferro won 7-5, 6-2.

 

Giorgi (1.90) v Paterson (2.08)

Due to start around 6 pm

Their head to heads are 1-1. They last met in September 2019 on a hard court in Wuhan. Giorgi retired. Giorgi won on a hard court in Washington, Also in 2019. She won in 3 sets.

Overall results favour Peterson in the last 12 months. Giorgi has better 2020 results. Peterson has stronger long term clay results.

Giorgi reached the 3rd round of the French Open in 2018. She had some good results that season including a semi final in Prague and a quarter final finish in Lugano. She has not played on clay since 2018.

Peterson has won just 2 of her 6 matches in 2020. She ended last season with a hard court title in Tianjin in October. Her last match on clay was her second round loss to Donna Vekic at last year’s French Open. Her best clay results were in ITF tournaments before she made the move up to the main WTA tour in 2019.

It is tricky to predict the winner. I give Giorgi the edge but I think we will get 3 sets. Lay Peterson if she breaks first and remove the liability when Giorgi breaks back. Lay the set 1 winner.

Update: Peterson took the first break of serve and led 3-1. Giorgi immediately broke back and a late break gave her the set. In set 2 she took a double break lead. Giorgi was broken serving for the match at 5-2 but managed to serve out at 5-4.
Giorgi won 7-5, 6-4.

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