'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
First-round matches will come to a close on Day 3 of the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
Jelena Ostapenko became the first-seeded player to lose as Linda Noskova defeated her 6-3, 6-1 in the first round on Tuesday. Zheng Qinwen and Marketa Vondrousova were the other seeded players in action and both won their respective matches in straight sets.
Elise Mertens downed home favorite Tatjana Maria 6-1, 4-6, 6-0 to set up a second-round showdown against top seed Iga Swiatek. Jasmine Paolini made light work of her doubles partner Sara Errani as she handed her a 6-1, 6-0 beatdown.
More players will be eyeing to make it through the first round on Wednesday. Here are the predictions for some of the singles matches lined up on Day 3 of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix:
#1 - Ons Jabeur vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Injuries have put a dampener on Jabeur's season as she has compiled a dismal 2-6 record so far. She's currently on a five-match losing streak, with her previous win coming against Emma Raducanu in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Open in February.
Alexandrova, on the other hand, has performed relatively better and has notched up a 12-9 record for the year. She reached her second WTA 1000 semifinal at the Miami Open, where she was knocked out by Danielle Collins.
Alexandrova's clay swing began on a sour note after that as she made a quick exit from the Charleston Open without winning a match. She'll fancy her odds of a win in Stuttgart given that she leads Jabeur 6-2 in the head-to-head.
Jabeur did win their previous encounter as she defeated Alexandrova en route to the Madrid Open title in 2022. The Tunisian has a 72% win rate on clay and has won a couple of titles on the surface, along with three runner-up finishes.
However, Jabeur's recent results coupled with her losing record against Alexandrova tilt the odds in the latter's favor once again.
Predicted winner: Ekaterina Alexandrova
#2 - Marta Kostyuk vs Laura Siegemund
Kostyuk has enjoyed considerable success this year. She reached her maiden Major quarterfinal at the Australian Open in January. She put up a fight against Coco Gauff but went down fighting in three sets.
Kostyuk also was the runner-up at the San Diego Open and made it to the biggest semifinal of her career at the Indian Wells Open. She lost to World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the latter tournament. The 21-year-old hasn't competed since then.
Siegemund's best results this season have been a couple of quarterfinal showings in Adelaide and Bogota. She also won the United Cup with her fellow Germans, though she only competed in the doubles ties.
Siegemund defeated World No. 13 Beatriz Haddad Maia in straight sets during the recent Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers. While she hasn't won as many matches as Kostyuk this season, she does have three wins over the top 30 players.
Kostyuk and Siegemund have faced off once before at the 2019 Luxembourg Open and the latter emerged victorious in three sets. The German also won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix back in 2017.
Kostyuk's form makes her the favorite though Siegemund has the potential to upset her. She's a former champion here and is playing in front of her home crowd, which could tip the scales in her favor if her opponent isn't at her best.
Predicted winner: Marta Kostyuk
#3 - Liudmila Samsonova vs Anastasia Potapova
Samsonova has competed in eight tournaments this season and has won matches in just two of them to amass a 4-8 record. Her semifinal showing at the Abu Dhabi Open remains her best result, followed by a third-round appearance at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Potapova's highlight of the season has been a quarterfinal finish at the Indian Wells Open, her second at a WTA 1000 tournament. She reached an additional couple of quarterfinals in Adelaide and Linz.
The two have faced off just once at the main draw level before this, which was at the 2020 St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. Potapova won that match in straight sets.
Samsonova's career record on clay stands at 14-17, while Potapova has outperformed her to notch up a 30-16 tally on the surface. The latter's proficiency on the surface along with her better results this year make her the favorite to make it through this clash.
Predicted winner: Anastasia Potapova
