Wednesday at the Cincinnati Open features a loaded slate with 40 total matches, including 14 WTA singles bouts. No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek begins her WTA Cincinnati campaign against Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva. As always, we at LWOT have the preview and prediction for that match and all predictions around the grounds of Cincinnati. But who will advance?
WTA Cincinnati Day 2 Predictions
Marie Bouzkova vs Magdalena Frech
Head-to-Head: Bouzkova 1-0 Frech
26-year-olds Marie Bouzkova and Magdalena Frech square off with a spot in the Cincinnati second round on the line. Bouzkova has been the better player this year, posting a 17-15 record with two final appearances, including in Washington earlier this month. Frech was the No. 1 seed in qualies and cruised into the main draw. That said, she has a 32.1% career winning percentage on hard courts, with a 1-5 mark in her last six matches before this week. Bouzkova should find the finish line.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 3
Anna Kalinskaya vs Katerina Siniakova
Head-to-Head: Kalinskaya 1-1 Siniakova
No. 13 seed Anna Kalinskaya gets a tricky first-round match against World No. 36 Katerina Siniakova. Siniakova, who reached a career-high ranking in June, has strung together a few consistent seasons and is always a threat to pull an upset. However, hardcourts have always been her worst surface. Kalinskaya, on the other hand, prefers this surface, holding a 33-13 record on it over the last 52 weeks. She should pick up another win here.
Prediction: Kalinskaya in 2
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Iga Swiatek vs Varvara Gracheva
Head-to-Head: Swiatek 1-0 Gracheva
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek gets her WTA Cincinnati campaign underway against 24-year-old Varvara Gracheva. The Frenchwoman advanced through two rounds of qualifying before besting Ajla Tomljanovic in a third-set tiebreak in Round 1. These were some much-needed wins for a player who had won just one match since reaching the second week of Roland Garros. Swiatek, who reached the semis in Cincinnati last season, will be motivated to find some form on the hardcourts. She should roll.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – USA TODAY Sports
