Birmingham 2024 Day 4: Women's singles predictions ft. Barbora Krejcikova vs Harriet Dart and Caroline Dolehide vs Elise Mertens
With action in full swing at the 2024 Rothesay Classic, fans can count themselves in for another day of exhilarating action on Day 4 with women's second-round matches set to be played out.
Second seed Barbora Krejcikova and home favorite Harriet Dart will headline play as they prepare to face off in arguably the most highly anticipated match of the day. Fifth seed Elise Mertens will also be in action against Caroline Dolehide, while eighth seed Marie Bouzkova is set to take on Russian youngster Diana Shnaider. Yulia Putinseva and Anhelina Kalinina will square off for that last berth in the last eight.
On that note, here's a look at the predictions for all the women's singles matches set to be played on Day 4 of the 2024 Rothesay Classic.
#4 Yulia Putinseva vs Anhelina Kalinina
Yulia Putinseva and Anhelina Kalinina will kick off play on Day 4 at the Rothesay Classic. The pair have faced off four times with Putinseva edging their head-to-head 3-1. She prevailed 6-4, 7-6 (5) in their last encounter at the Miami Open earlier this year.
Putinseva has had an impressive 2024 so far which has seen her compile a 24-15 match record so far. She started the year strong with a couple of quarterfinal runs in Hobart and Hua Hin. An outstanding sunshine double awaited her as she reached the fourth round in Indian Wells and the last eight in Miami. Her form on the clay was commendable too, with a run to the quarterfinals in Madrid.
Kalinina, on the contrary, has had a sub-par campaign so far and has compiled a 16-15 match record. She's made a trio of semifinals at the ATX Open, Open de Rouen, and the Internationaux de Strasbourg. She impressed in Miami with wins over Caroline Wozniacki and Aryna Sabalenka en route to the fourth round.
Both of them had fairly easy openers in Birmingham. Putinseva got the better of Clara Burel in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 while Kalinina secured her place in the second round after fourth seed Katie Boulter was forced to withdraw with an injury, trailing 3-6 after the first set.
Putinseva's prowess on the grass should give her the edge and help her set up another routine victory. Kalinina on the other hand will have to be at her best on the return and from the back of the court if she is to challenge the Kazakh.
Pick: Putinseva in straight sets.
#3 Marie Bouzkova vs Diana Shnaider
Eighth seed Marie Bouzkova will face off against Russian starlet Diana Shnaider in the day's second match at the Rothesday Classic in Birmingham. Bouzkova won their only previous encounter in the past, 7-6(5), 6-2, last year in Nanchang.
Bouzkova has won twelve matches out of nineteen this season and has most notably reached the finals of the Copa Colsanitas, where she lost to Camila Osorio in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(5). She's also reached the last eight in Auckland and the third round at the French Open.
Shnaider, meanwhile, has had a breakthrough season so far with twenty-two wins out of thirty-four matches played. She picked up her first-ever career WTA title in Hua Hin, beating Zhu Lin in three sets 6–3, 2–6, 6–1. Her prowess on the clay was there for everybody to see with an impressive run to the third round in Rome.
Shnaider opened her campaign in Nottingham with an authoritative 7-5, 6-3 victory over home favorite Amelia Rajecki. Bouzkova was also pitted against a local in the form of Heather Watson but found the match harder, finally plowing through in three sets to seal an emphatic 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win.
Experience might be on Bouzkova's side, but the exuberance of youth most definitely will favor Shnaider. An exciting match is on the cards, but Shanider should make it through given her current form.
Pick: Shnaider in three sets.
#2 Elise Mertens vs Caroline Dolehide
Fifth seed Elise Mertens will square off against Caroline Dolehide in the last match on Day 4 in Birmingham. Mertens currently leads their head-to-head 1-0, having won their only encounter almost ten years ago at the Hilton Head Island in SC, USA.
Mertens is 16-14 on the single circuit and has most notably reached the finals of the Hobart International. She's also made the last eight in Linz and Charleston. Her form on the clay at the French Open looked good in the opening couple of rounds before being halted by fourth-seed Elena Rybakina in the third round.
Dolehide, on the contrary, holds a 7-14 match record this season. A couple of third-round finishes in Indian Wells and Madrid are her best results so far. She primarily features on the doubles circuit, just like Mertens.
Dolehide kicked off her campaign in Birmingham from the qualifiers. She got the better of Eden Silva and Elina Avanesyan to book herself a berth in the main draw. Up against last week's finalist in Nottingham, Karolina Pliskova, Dolehide played some of her best tennis from a set down to seal an emphatic 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory. Mertens, on the contrary, brushed aside former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in her opener to a 6-4, 6-1 scoreline.
Mertens enters the match as the firm favorite to win, given her superior experience at bigger stages and her recent run of form. Attacking the net in this encounter will be the key, given the pair's doubles expertise.
Pick: Mertens in straight sets.
#1 Barbora Krejcikova vs Harriet Dart
Second seed Barbora Krejcikova will take on home favorite Harriet Dart in a tantalizing second-round clash at the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham. The pair have never faced off in professional competition.
Krejcikova hasn't featured much on the singles tour this season and has compiled a 6-7 match record so far. She began the year strong, reaching the last eight in Melbourne, going down to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets. She has since been marred by inconsistency and injuries and has managed to win just two matches out of eight.
Dart on the contrary has compiled a 16-17 W/L record on the WTA tour this year. Her best result yet is a last-four finish at the Transylvania Open. She lifted the crown at the Canberra challenger at the start of the year.
Krejcikova should come through this encounter with relative ease given her superior prowess on the grass. Dart will have the backing of the home crowd but will be at her best to secure the win. Strong service games and regular approaches to the net will be key in this high-octane encounter.
Pick: Krejcikova in straight sets.