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Second-round matches will commence on Day 3 of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open.
Naomi Osaka, who was competing in the Middle East for the first time since 2019, bowed out in the first round. While she was able to keep up with Danielle Collins in the beginning, the American broke through her defenses for a 7-5, 6-0 win.
Magda Linette, Cristina Bucsa, and Sara Sorribes Tormo were among the winners on Tuesday as well. The lattermost defeated Australian Open quarterfinalist Linda Noskova 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 for her first main draw win of the season.
Heather Watson continued her impressive run at the Abu Dhabi Open. She ground it out in the qualifying rounds and then upset ninth seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 7-5 in the first round on Tuesday.
Now, players will fight it out for a place in the last eight on Wednesday. Here's a look at the predictions for a few of the matches set for Day 3 of the Abu Dhabi Open:
#1 - Maria Sakkari vs Sorana Cirstea
Cirstea arrived at the Abu Dhabi Open having suffered three straight first-round exits, including at the Australian Open. She faced former top-five player Caroline Garcia in her opener here.
Cirstea lost a closely contested first set, but rallied back to stage a 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4 comeback victory, her very first of the year as well. As one of the top seeds, Sakkari directly received a bye into the second round.
The Greek started the season brightly as she scored straight-sets wins over Leylah Fernandez, Daniela Seguel, and Angelique Kerber at the United Cup. She ousted Nao Hibino in the first round of the Australian Open but was upset by Elina Avanesyan in the next round.
Cirstea has a winning record over Sakkari and leads 2-1 in the head-to-head. The former won their first couple of matches at the 2017 Istanbul Cup and the 2018 Qatar Open in straight sets. The Greek snapped her losing streak with a three-set victory at last year's Cincinnati Open.
All of Cirstea's matches have gone the distance and she only scored her first win of the year this week. Sakkari's underperformance at the season's first Major wasn't unexpected, given her results at that level. She usually rebounds in the following tournaments and will be backed to progress at the Abu Dhabi Open.
Predicted winner: Maria Sakkari
#2 - Daria Kasatkina vs Ashlyn Krueger
Kasatkina got her campaign up and running at the Abu Dhabi Open with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over Diane Parry in the first round. Krueger, meanwhile, came through the qualifying rounds after defeating Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Lucia Bronzetti.
The American teen then faced countrywoman Bernarda Pera in her opener and bested her 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. It was her first main draw win of the season too. Krueger is an up-and-coming player and started to spend more time on the WTA Tour just last year.
Experience and prior results back Kasatkina, but she has suffered losses to players ranked considerably lower than her in the past. While the Russian is trying to change her gameplay by taking control of the points, she does revert to playing passively at times.
Krueger has the game to dictate the points from start to finish but will need to be efficient about it. Kasatkina is one of the best defenders on the tour at the moment. The teenager could put up a fight, but the Russian should be able to survive the challenge to make the last eight here.
Predicted winner: Daria Kasatkina
#3 - Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Magda Linette
Haddad Maia beat Wang Xiyu 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the opening round of the Abu Dhabi Open, while Linette got the better of Alex Eala with a 7-6 (4), 6-1 win. The Pole finally put an end to her four-match losing streak with the victory.
Linette and Haddad Maia have crossed paths just once before, with the latter coming out on top at the 2023 Italian Open in straight sets. Neither player has been at their best this season, but with the Australian swing behind them, they'll be eager to start anew.
Haddad Maia was a semifinalist at last year's Abu Dhabi Open and has performed slightly better than Linette. Both don't mind playing defensively, but the Brazilian also has the physicality to survive a lengthy battle. As such, she'll have an edge in this encounter and will be expected to emerge victorious.
Predicted winner: Beatriz Haddad Maia
