Some of the first round action at the 2023 Poland Open will see Zhu Lin take on Wang Xiyu and Linda Noskova play Jana Fett. Get the latest predictions along with the odds, preview and head to head for these matches along with Jessika Ponchet v Yuliya Hatouka and Weronika Ewald v Rebecca Sramkova.
Zhu Lin v Wang Xiyu Preview
Head-to-Head: Zhu leads 3-1, which includes her only win over Wang this year in Hua Hin
World no. 38 and fourth seed Zhu Lin comes into the tournament with a 17-12 season record behind her. Zhu has been at her best on hard courts.
The 29-year-old Chinese player won her maiden WTA tournament by beating Lesia Tsurenko in the final of the Hua Hin Championships. It was the first time when Zhu had reached the final of a WTA tournament and she succeeded in winning the title. Additionally she was also a semifinalist in Monterrey, a quarterfinalist in Auckland and she also made it to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian open.
So, Zhu had enjoyed a good run on hard courts and is expected to go deep in Poland.
Taking on Zhu is Wang Xiyu. The 22-year-old left-hander is 13-15 across levels, but she has struggled to win matches on hard courts, where she is 3-7 in 2023. Her three wins came in Merida, Indian Wells and Miami.
The world no. 80 has not reached a single quarterfinal this year, with her best being a fourth round finish in Rome. She will find the going tough in the opening round.
Zhu Lin v Wang Xiyu Tip
Zhu has enjoyed more success on hard courts this year and has been consistent. Zhu to win: 1/2
Linda Noskova v Jana Fett Preview
Head-to-Head: This will be a first meeting between the two.
World no. 59 Linda Noskova has already made a mark this year. The 18-year-old Czech had reached her maiden WTA final in the season opener in Adelaide, only to go down to Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
She also made it to the quarterfinals in Lyon and the third round in Indian Wells, but she has lost a bit of momentum ever since the tour moved to clay and grass. While she has reached two WTA 125 quarterfinals on clay, she has not gone beyond the second round in WTA events. With a 9-4 season record on hard court, she will be hoping to start well in Poland.
Taking on Noskova is world no. 248 Jana Fett of Croatia. The 26-year-old reached the main draw with a straight sets win over Poland’s Weronika Falkowska in the first qualifying round and a three-set win over Serbia’s Natalija Kostić in the second qualifying round.
Fett is 18-16 across levels this year, but most of her success came on clay, where she is 13-12. On hard courts, she has a 5-2 record this year and that includes a semifinal finish in an ITF tournament in Jakarta.
Linda Noskova v Jana Fett Tip
Noskova is a heavy favourite in this match. The Czech to win in straight sets: 1/11
Jessika Ponchet v Yuliya Hatouka Preview
Head-to-Head: Hatouka won their only meeting at the US Open qualifier last year.
World no. 140 Jessika Ponchet of France has been playing well in lower level tournaments this year. She has a 30-16 record this year and finished runner-up at the Vitoria-Gasteiz ITF on Sunday.
While she lost all three of her matches on grass, she has a winning record on the other three surfaces. her best came on indoor courts, where she is 15-6 this year. On hard courts, the 26-year-old has an 8-3 record.
Ponchet also won the Macon ITF title this year and has featured in plenty of semifinals. She is 0-2 at the tour level this year, can she pick up her first tour level win of the season in Poland?
Facing her will be qualifier Yuliya Hatouka. The Belarusian ousted Ukraine’s Kateryna Volodko 6-1, 6-1 in the first qualifying round and then she rallied from a set down to beat Russia’s Valeria Savinykh 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the second qualifying round.
The 23-year-old is 25-15 from all her matches this year. While she was at her best on clay, winning one ITF tournament and finishing runner-up in another, she also reached a hard court final at the ITF level only to finish second best. Can Hatouka make an impressive start?
Jessika Ponchet v Yuliya Hatouka Tip
Ponchet has been in excellent form on recently and she should advance to the next round. Ponchet to win: 4/6.
Weronika Ewald v Rebecca Sramkova Preview
Head-to-Head: They have never met before.
Weronika Ewald is set to make her tour level debut in front of hime fans. Ranked no. 1076th in the world, the Polish player brings a 5-5 season record into the tournament.
Ewald had reached the semifinals of the Monastir 42 ITF this season. She also won a round in Monastir 29 ITF. Ewald had fallen in the qualification round at the Poland Open last year, but this year she will be making her debut.
Can she announce her arrival at the big stage with an impressive performance?
Playing her will be Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova, who powered into the main draw with a 6-1, 6-0 drubbing of Australia’s Maddison Inglis in the second qualifying round. She had scored a comeback win over Naiktha Bains in the first qualifier, beating the Briton 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Sramkova, the world no. 174, is enjoying a great run this year, albeit at the lower level. She has featured in three finals this year, one on hard and two on clay. While she won the final on hard court, she had a 1-1 record in clay finals.
Sramkova was also a semifinalist at the WTA 125 in Makarska.
Weronika Ewald v Rebecca Sramkova Tip
This should be a one-sided contest. Sramkova to win with ease: 1/25
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The 2023 Poland Open will be played from July 24 to 30. Get our ultimate guide on tennis betting and predictions here.
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