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The 2024 San Diego Open kicked off on Monday. Defending champion While Barbora Krejcikova was forced to skip the tournament due to health reasons, World No. 5 Jessica Pegula is back in action after a brief injury hiatus.
Daria Saville, Katie Boulter, and Jule Niemeier were among the winners on the first day of the tournament. The Australian registered a 6-3, 6-3 win over Zhu Lin, while the Brit handed Lesia Tsurenko a 6-3, 6-1 defeat.
Niemeier hammered Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 6-0, while Wang Xinyu edged past Clara Tauson 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. More first round matches are scheduled for Day 2 of the San Diego Open and here are the predictions for some of them:
#1 - Caroline Wozniacki vs Anna Blinkova
Wozniacki's first tournament of the season was the ASB Classic, where she suffered a 6-4, 6-3 defeat to Elina Svitolina in the opening round. She led Magda Linette 6-2, 2-0 in the first round of the Australian Open but the latter retired at this stage due to an injury.
Wozniacki was then upset by Maria Timofeeva in the second round as she suffered a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 loss. She opted to skip the Middle East tournaments and received a wildcard to play at the San Diego Open.
Blinkova ousted Elena Rybakina in a memorable match en route to the third round of the Australian Open. She was then knocked out in the first round of the Linz Open but managed to make it to the second round of the Transylvania Open.
Blinkova has more losses than wins this season, while Wozniacki hasn't competed enough this year. The Russian is more match fit but given her up-and-down level, the Dane could find a way to make it through this round.
Predicted winner: Caroline Wozniacki
#2 - Leylah Fernandez vs Tatjana Maria
After a disappointing second round exit from the Australian Open, Fernandez rebounded with a quarterfinal finish at the Qatar Open. She scored wins over players like Paula Badosa and Zheng Qinwen before losing to Rybakina.
Fernandez couldn't sustain the momentum was sent home by eventual champion Jasmine Paolini in the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Except for the Qatar Open where she lost in the first round, Maria has bowed out in the second round of every other tournament.
Maria is finding it a bit difficult to sustain her playstyle these days and often fades away during extended rallies. Fernandez, on the other hand, is known for her endurance and her ability to go from defensive to attacking tennis. The young Canadian will be favored to win this match.
Predicted winner: Leylah Fernandez
#3 - Dayana Yastremska vs Caroline Dolehide
Yastremska hasn't been able to build upon her semifinal run at the Australian Open, her very first at a Major. Her early exit from the Linz Open was understandable given the short turnaround after her run in Melbourne.
Veronika Kudermetova then defeated Yastremska 6-0, 1-6, 6-0 in the opening round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Dolehide is in a somewhat similar predicement and hasn't won a match since her second round exit from the Australian Open.
Despite her poor showing in her last couple of events, Yastremska will be the favorite heading into this encounter. While Dolehide has made significant progress in singles, it won't be enough to stop the Ukrainian if she puts her best foot forward.
Predicted winner: Dayana Yastremska
#4 - Donna Vekic vs Katherine Hui
Vekic was eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open in both singles and doubles. She bounced back with a semifinal run at the Linz Open but followed it up with another first round loss, this time at the Qatar Open.
Vekic stunned reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. She rallied from a set and a break down to defeat the Belarusian 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-0. She then lost to Sorana Cirstea in the third round in three sets.
Hui received a wildcard to participate in the San Diego Open. She's the current girls' singles champion at the US Open. She mainly competes on the ITF circuit and given her current ranking of No. 872, she hasn't had the opportunity to test herself against anyone in the top 100. Given the huge disparity between the two, it would be quite shocking if Vekic loses this match.
Predicted winner: Donna Vekic
