With just a week to go before the start of Wimbledon, players have just one more tournament to fine-tune their form going into the third slam of the season. Some of the biggest names hoping to get grass-court matchplay this week at WTA Bad Homburg include Iga Swiatek, Bianca Andreescu, and Donna Vekic. As always, we here at LWOT will preview every match. Who do you think will take the title?
WTA Bad Homburg Day 1 Predictions
Katie Volynets vs Evgeniya Rodina
Head-to-head: Volynets 1-0 Rodina
A rematch of an Australian Open first round that resulted in a 6-3 6-2 win for Volynets. The 21-year-old has failed to win a match so far in this grass season, losing to Caty McNally and Susan Bandecchi coming into Bad Homburg qualifying, where she won her first set on grass in a 2-6 6-0 4-6 loss to Kateryna Baindl. Volynets makes it in as a lucky loser and faces Evgeniya Rodina, a part-time player since making her comeback after maternity leave at last year’s US Open. The 34-year-old did have an incredible run to the second week of Wimbledon out of qualifying in 2018 but barely beat No. 417 Georgia Pedona last week. Neither player is particularly convincing but I will slightly lean towards Rodina here.
Prediction: Rodina in 3
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Maryna Zanevska vs Sara Errani
Head-to-head: Zanevska 1-1 Errani
Winning her qualifying match over Lena Papadakis, Zanevska ended her four-loss streak dating back to the beginning of May. This was also the 29-year-old’s first win on grass since 2018, losing seven straight. Errani’s game is supremely unsuited to the surface, though the Italian defied all expectations last year with a run to the final at WTA 125 Gaiba. This year, the 36-year-old failed to replicate that result, losing 5-7 5-7 to Katie Swan in her opener. Zanevska won their most recent match 7-5 on indoor hard at WTA 125 Rouen at the end of last year. It’s a tough one to predict but Zanevska’s game should simply work better here.
Prediction: Zanevska in 3
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Sabine Lisicki vs Anna Blinkova
Head-to-head: first meeting
The 2013 Wimbledon finalist came back after an 18-month break in May last year, playing sparingly since. Lisicki surprisingly lost to Kristina Dmitruk in Hertogenbosch qualifying as the 19-year-old was making her grass debut but looked better in a 6-7 3-6 loss to Caroline Garcia in Berlin. Blinkova battled past a different German veteran there last week, Laura Siegemund, before losing to Elina Avanesyan from a set up. Despite being a Junior Wimbledon finalist in 2015, the 24-year-old has not shown much grass pedigree on the pro level, holding an 18-18 career record on the surface. I expect Lisicki to be up for this match and rise to the moment of winning her first tour-level match since her quarterfinal run in Bad Homburg last year.
Prediction: Lisicki in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
