Some of the first-round action at the 2023 Hamburg Open will see Jule Niemeier take on Ella Siedel and Laura Pigossi play Noha Akugue. Get the latest predictions along with the odds, preview and head-to-head for these matches along with Diana Shnaider v Polina Kudermetova and Yulia Putintseva v Elsa Jacquemot.
Jule Niemeier v Ella Seidel Preview
Head-to-Head: Jule Niemeier and Ella Seidel have not played each other at any level. The two Germans will meet for the first time on Monday.
This could potentially be a big week for Jule Niemeier whose season has been hampered by occasional moments of loss of form.
And just when it looked like she was piecing things together in her home tournament in Berlin, she suffered a nasty fall and ended up injuring her hand. Although she recovered in record time to play Wimbledon and even upset the French Open finalist Muchova out of the gates, her second-round exit at the hands of Dalma Galfi emphasizes my initial points – Niemeier is extremely inconsistent.
Her first-round opponent in Hamburg is a fellow German, Ella Seidel who enters the tournament as a wild card. Seidel is on a hot streak after capturing her first title of the year a couple of weeks ago at the ITF W25 in Vaihingen where she dropped one set during the week.
If Niemeier was looking for a test right from the get-go, she’ll get one here. But given the comparative gulf in quality, we’ll stick with the higher-ranked German to win this clash.
Niemeier v Seidel Tip
Niemeier to win: 2/9
Laura Pigossi v Noma Noha Akugue Preview
Head-to-Head: Laura Pigossi leads the head-to-head 1-0. She defeated Noma Noha Akugue in a qualifying match at this year’s French Open in straight sets.
Laura Pigossi is a confident player on clay, producing her most memorable moments on the surface including last year’s unexpected run to the final in Bogota as a qualifier. Pigossi hasn’t managed to reprise those moments this season, losing her top 100 status as a result.
The Brazilian, now ranked 138th in the rankings, arrives in Hamburg on the back of a quarterfinal run at the WTA 125K in Iasi, Romania. She is a solid 14-12 on clay this season in all competitions.
Her opponent Noma Noha Akugue is ranked 197th in the world, her career-best, and is set to play in the main draw of a WTA tournament for the first time. The 19-year-old is an ITF regular, and it will be interesting to see how she fares here as she looks to repay the tournament officials for granting her a wild card.
The German measures close to six feet and possesses a big serve. She’s also got a nice selection of shots with her left-hander expected to cause Pigossi plenty of problems. It’s not a surprise to see the bookies fancying the wild card to emerge on top in this one.
Pigossi v Akugue Tip
Akugue to win: 8/11
Diana Shnaider v Polina Kudermetova Preview
Head-to-Head: Polina Kudermetova leads Diana Shnaider 1-0 in their head-to-head, with that win coming at an ITF tournament this past year.
Diana Shnaider suffered an absolute drubbing at the hands of compatriot Maria Timofeeva this past week in Budapest, winning just two games. Nevertheless, it’s been a positive start to life on the main tour for the 19-year-old Shnaider who is still balancing studies with life on the pro tour.
She faces Polina Kudermetova, a fellow Russian and sister to WTA top 20 player Veronika Kudermetova who owns her in the head-to-head. Polina played some gutsy tennis under pressure in qualifying for Hamburg and she might be worth a shout in the sets spread here.
Shnaider v Kudermetova Tip
Kudermetova to win a set – Yes:
Yulia Putintseva v Elsa Jacquemot Preview
Head-to-Head: Yulia Putintseva and Elsa Jacquemot have never played each other before this.
Back Yulia Putintseva with a pint of caution here as the Kazakh was a massive disappointment in Budapest where she lost to Claire Liu in straight sets in the second round.
But overall, she’s played some solid clay court tennis, winning 11 matches including a third-round finish at Roland Garros (lost to Stephens) and made the semfinal at a WTA 125K event in Bastad.
Elsa Jacquemot came through qualifying in Hamburg, But neither Kathleen Kanev nor Tatiana Prozorova (her two victims at the weekend) matches up to Putintseva in terms of pedigree.
A closer look at the rankings and you have to fancy the more accomplished Yulia Putintseva to emerge the frontrunner in this match.
Putintseva v Jacquemot Tip
Putintseva to win:
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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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