Canadian Open 2024 Day 3: Women's singles predictions ft. Anna Kalinskaya vs Lesia Tsurenko, Taylor Townsend vs Marina Stakusic
Day 3 of the Canadian Open will see the second round of the women's singles event take place, with some interesting matches to look out for. The first round saw two seeded players exiting the WTA 1000 tournament.
The top two seeds Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka will both be in action, with the American facing Wang Yafan while the Belarusian will take on Yue Yuan. We;ll also witness an all-Ukrainian clash between 11th seed Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina while Naomi Osaka will face Elise Mertens.
The likes of Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Leylah Fernandez will be in action as well. On that note, let us take a look at the predictions for some of the women's singles matches on Day 3 of the Canadian Open.
#1. Anna Kalinskaya vs Lesia Tsurenko
Tenth seed Anna Kalinskaya will face Lesia Tsurenko in the second round of the Canadian Open. It will be the second meeting between the two, with the Ukrainian previously beating her 6-0, 6-7(3), 6-4 in the second round of the 2023 Hua Hin Championships.
Kalinskaya booked her place in the second round in Toronto with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Louisa Chirico while Tsurenko came back from a set down to defeat Bianca Andreescu 0-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Kalinskaya has produced some impressive performances so far this season, reaching the finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships and the ecotrans Ladies Open in Berlin. Tsurenko, on the other hand, has won just ten out of 23 matches so far in 2024.
The Russian will enter the match as the favorite to win and should be able to do so given her relatively superior form.
Predicted Winner: Anna Kalinskaya
#2. Liudmila Samsonova vs Moyuka Uchijima
Sixth seed Liudmila Samsonova will face Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima in the second round of the Canadian Open. It will be the very first meeting between the two,
Samsonova reached a walkover to the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament by virtue of being one of the top eight seeds. Uchijima, on the other hand, beat Viktoriya Tomova 7-6(4), 6-2.
The Russian has won 18 out of 35 matches so far in 2024 while the Japanese has triumphed in just two out of six tour-level main-draw fixtures.
Samsonova may not be in the best of form but when you look at the lack of matches Uchijima has had on the WTA Tour so far this season along with the fact that she might face the physical effects of her previous matches, there is a fair chance of the former coming out on top.
Predicted Winner: Liudmila Samsonova.
#3. Diana Shnaider vs Magdalena Frech
14th seed Diana Shnaider will take on Magdalena Frech in the second round of the Canadian Open. It will be the very first meeting between the two players.
Both players won their respective openers in Toronto in three sets, with Shnaider beating Harriet Dart 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(2) while Frech triumphed 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 over Anastasia Potapova.
The Russian has had a pretty decent 2024 season so far, winning 25 out of 37 matches so far, with three titles to her name, including one in the WTA 500 category. Frech, on the other hand, has prevailed in just 16 out of 36 fixtures, with a run to the Prague Open final being her best performances thus far this season.
Shnaider's recent run of form makes her a heavy favorite to win the match and while Frechis no pushover, the Russian might turn out to be too good for her.
Predicted Winner: Diana Shnaider
#4. Taylor Townsend vs Marina Stakusic
Taylor Townsend will lock horns with Canadian wildcard Marina Stakusic in the second round of the Canadian Open. It will be the very first encounter between them on the WTA Tour.
Both players had contrasting routes to the second round in Toronto. Townsend won her first-round fixture after 16th seed Dayana Yastremska was unable to continue, while Stakusic had to grind out a 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4 win over Erika Andreeva.
Townsend has won just eight out of 22 matches so far in 2024 while the Canadian has won just two out of five main-draw meetings. Stakusic's last of activity on the WTA Tour might work well for Townsend and there is a fair chance of the American qualifying for the third round of the Canadian Open.