The first round action at the 2021 WTA Abierto Zapopan Open kick starts on Monday, March 8 and will have Danka Kovinic play Varvara Gracheva and Harriet Dart take on Astra Sharma. Get the live streaming options along the predictions, preview and head to head for these matches along with Lauren Davis v Anna-Lena Friedsam and Coco Vandeweghe v Mihaela Buzarnescu.
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Danka Kovinic v Varvara Gracheva Preview
In what will be their second meeting the 84th-ranked Kovinic will take on the world number 94 Gracheva in the first round of the Abierto Zapopan Open on Monday. And it will be a chance for Kovinic to avenge her loss at the hands of Gracheva when they had first played, a match that came in the qualifiers of the 2019 US Open.
It won’t be that easy for Kovinic though, having made a wretched start to the season. Having played in four tournaments so far, she has won just one match and lost four including a 6-0, 6-0 drubbing in the first round of the Australian Open at the hands of Ash Barty.
It’s not as if Gracheva’s form has been exemplary but for someone who has never been ranked better than 89th in the world in her career, she has already won three opening round matches this season.
This includes victories at the Yarra Valley Classic, Australian Open and the Phillip Island Trophy including one against Sloane Stephens. She does come into this tournament with a first round defeat to Timea Babos at the Lyon Open but should still start out as a favourite to edge out Kovinic.
Kovinic v Gracheva Tip
Gracheva to win: 4/7 (bet365)
Harriet Dart v Astra Sharma Preview
This is an interesting match-up between Dart and Sharma for a place in the second round because they had only just met each other in the qualifiers of this same competition. Australia’s Sharma had defeated Dart to make it to the main draw but her British opponent has not only herself made it back to the main draw as a lucky loser but also has a chance to avenge that defeat.
Neither player, however, have had things going for them this season.
Dart, who is tipped to be one of the British players to watch out for, lost in the opening qualifier at the Australian Open and Lyon Open, and won just the first round qualifying here before falling to Sharma – three qualifying defeats to one win for her.
Sharma has only had it marginally better. She also didn’t make it through to the second round of the season’s first Grand Slam, having earlier lost in the opener at the Gippsland Open. And then at the Adelaide International, she failed to make it to the main draw, before finally making it to round one in the competition here.
The Aussie will start a favourite given how easily she had defeated Dart two days ago as well.
Dart v Sharma Tip
Sharma to win: 1/3 (bet365)
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Lauren Davis v Anna-Lena Friedsam Preview
The 83rd-ranked Lauren Davis will be up against the 118th-ranked German, Anna-Lena Friedsam for a place in the second round, both of whom looking to overturn their recent form issues and notch up a rare win.
Davis has had three previous attempts this season at trying to make it past the first round of tournaments, all of which came in Australia, but hasn’t been successful. She needed to go up against two qualifiers here, to make it to the main draw and will now hope she can register her first win since she won a match at the Monterrey Open in March last season.
Yep, that’s one year Davis won a main draw encounter.
On the other hand, Friedsam hasn’t even played in the main draw of a tournament since the French Open last year. Even at the ITF circuit, her record since that stint in Roland-Garros has been stunningly poor and she will hope she gets herself a respite here.
Tough to see that happen though.
Davis v Friedsam Tip
Davis to win: 1/2 (bet365)
Coco Vandeweghe v Mihaela Buzarnescu Preview
The 136th-ranked Buzarnescu will be up against Vandeweghe in the opening round of the tournament here and it comes as no surprise that Buzarnescu will be a favourite coming into this encounter.
A former world number nine, Vandeweghe has fallen on the rankings chart, and will be playing in what will be her first match of the season. Her Romanian opponent made it to the Australian Open as a lucky loser, and also qualified for the Phillip Island Trophy and made the opening round of the Lyon Open but is yet to win a main draw match.
That said, there have been no signs of rustiness, having run Kristina Mladenovic close last week and after taking Bianca Andreescu to three sets.
Buzarnescu should ease past her opponent here in straight sets.
Vandeweghe v Buzarnescu Tip
Buzarnescu to win in straight sets: 11/10 (bet365)
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The 2021 Abierto Zapopan Open will be played from March 8 to 14. You can watch & bet on the these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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