Hobart International 2024 Day 2: Women's singles predictions ft. Sloane Stephens vs Yue Yuan
Day 2 of the Hobart International will see the first-round matches resume while the doubles tournament commences.
A few Grand Slam champions will start their respective campaigns at the event with Sloane Stephens facing Yue Yuan while Sofia Kenin will be up against Greet Minnen. The likes of Yulia Putintseva, Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Mayar Sherif will also be in action.
On that note, let's take a look at the predictions for some of the matches on Day 2 of the Hobart International.
#1. Sloane Stephens vs Yue Yuan
Sloane Stephens will take on Chinese Yue Yuan in the first round of the Hobart International. It will be the very first meeting between the two.
Stephens last played at the Brisbane International where she was beaten by Elise Mertens. Yuan qualified for the main draw of the Hobart International with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) win over Nadia Podoroska.
Stephens will enter the match as the favorite to win and should not have much trouble getting the better of the Chinese if she is at her best.
Predicted Winner: Sloane Stephens.
#2. Sofia Kenin vs Greet Minnen
Sixth seed Sofia Kenin will take on Greet Minnen in the first round of the Hobart International. It will be the very first meeting between the two on the WTA Tour.
Both players lost their opening matches at the Brisbane International, with Kenin losing in the second round after receiving a walkover in the first round.
Kenin is the higher-ranked player and produced some promising performances in 2023. While Minnen should not be written off, the American's quality should see her come out on top and reach the Round of 16 in Hobart.
Predicted Winner: Sofia Kenin.
#3. Yulia Putintseva vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Yulia Putintseva will face Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the first round of the Hobart International. It will be the very first meeting between the two.
While Cocciaretto will start her 2024 season at the WTA 250 event, Putintseva previously appeared in the ASB Classic, where she lost to Wang Xinyu in the first round. The Kazakh qualified for the main draw in Hobart with wins over Nao Hibino and Kimberly Birrell.
Cocciaretto is the higher-ranked player out of the two but Putintseva at her best can produce some fine aggressive tennis. Putintseva should be able to get the better of the Italian to reach the Round of 16 in Hobart.
Predicted Winner: Yulia Putintseva.
#4. Mayar Sherif vs Caroline Dolehide
Mayar Sherif will face Caroline Dolehide in the first round of the Hobart International. It will be the first meeting between the two on the WTA Tour, with the Egyptian beating the American in their two prior meetings on the ITF and WTA 125k circuits.
While Sherif will make her 2024 debut, Dolehide competed in the Brisbane International and lost in the opening round.
Both players produced a few promising performances in 2023 and we could have an interesting encounter on our hands. Sherif won just one out of eight tour-level matches after her run to the semi-finals in Palermo. Dolehide seems the more solid player on grass and should be able to prevail over the Egyptian.
Predicted Winner: Caroline Dolehide.