Donna Vekic will face Storm Hunter and Mayar Sherif will be up against Eva Lys in the first round of the 2023 WTA Hamburg Open among others. Get the latest predictions along with the odds, preview and head to head for these matches along with E v F and G v H.
Donna Vekic v Storm Hunter Preview
Head-to-Head: They have faced off just once before this and it was Vekic who had come away a winner in that match on the ITF circuit in 2016.
Vekic has had a season to remember this year and that has meant she has risen to 22nd in the world, just three spots away from her career-best of 19th. Clay, however, isn’t her most preferred surface and that’s why it might not get any easy for her despite coming into this tournament with the 30-12 win-loss record she has had for the year.
These wins include two in the Hopman Cup that Vekic played in last week, both of which came on clay too. The trouble is even there, Vekic fell to Elise Mertens in the one match in which she played an opponent of some pedigree.
The good news for Vekic is that her opponent is not just ranked 154th in the world but also not the best herself on clay.
Storm featured in the Budapest Open last week where she was sent packing by Nadia Podoroska in three sets. Against Vekic she might have a bit of a chance but the Croat will be a favourite.
Vekic v Hunter Tip
Vekic to win: 4/11
Mayar Sherif v Eva Lys Preview
Head-to-Head: Sherif and Lys have never faced off before this.
Sherif is in the form of her life and by that one means she is not too far off from breaking into the top 30 of the WTA Rankings. She had touched 31st earlier this season and after making it to the semifinal at the Palermo Open, the Egyptian has risen to her career-best of 31st again.
This follows a title win in Makarska and another in Valencia, a WTA 125 tournament.
She hasn’t played in Hamburg before this and a good showing here could allow her to grow into something substantial here. Probably even break into the top-30.
Sherif faces the 21-year-old German Lys who has done her bit at the lower level but never won a title on clay.
In fact this year, Lys has a win-loss record of 3-9 on clay and playing someone of the pedigree of Sherif means there could be only one winner here.
Sherif v Lys Tip
Sherif to win in straight sets: 4/5
Jasmine Paolini v Daria Saville Preview
Head-to-Head: These two last played in 2012 on the ITF circuit and Saville had won that qualifier on clay.
Paolini returns to the tennis court after having featured in Palermo last week where she excelled in the tournament. After having gotten knocked out of Wimbledon in the first round, Paolini reached the final there.
While she went down fighting in three sets to Qinwen Zheng in that match, what the tournament performance did was to improve her record on clay to 16-7 for the season. This already includes a WTA 125 title win in Florence for Paolini, who as a result has broken into the top 50 of the WTA Rankings.
Up against her is a qualifier in Saville who hadn’t featured in any competitive matches through most part of the first half of the year. She only returned in June in Birmingham and since then is in her fourth tournament of the year.
Saville is yet to win a match this year and facing Paolini, the 222nd-ranked player from Australia will know things won’t be getting any easier. Can she come up with a showing to remember on clay?
Paolini v Saville Tip
Paolini to win: 4/9
Bernarda Pera v Zeynep Sonmez Preview
Head-to-Head: Pera and Sonmez have never faced off before this.
Pera enters this match as an obvious player as she takes on a player who has never been in the top 200 of the rankings.
There is a caveat though. The American hasn’t had the best of times recently as she enters this tournament on the back of four successive losses.
Not too long ago, Pera had enjoyed a run through to the second week at Roland Garros but then has faced some adversity, having lost five of the following six matches she’s played. This includes a first round defeat at the hands of Diana Shnaider in the opener at Budapest.
Pera now has a chance to turn things against a player ranked 203rd but Sonmez has made it through to the main draw with wins over the 1/3 favourite Astra Sharma and 5/6 Nuria Brancaccio. She will look to be a tad wary here.
Pera v Sonmez Tip
Games Handicap Sonmez +4.5: 1/1
The 2023 Hamburg Open will be played from July 24 to 30. Get our ultimate guide on tennis betting and predictions here.
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