There is a superb schedule of 12 matches on Day 3 of the WTA Charleston Open. Former Grand Slam champions Sloane Stephens and Victoria Azarenka are among the players set to feature. Their matches are among the four contests predicted in this article. As always, we at LWOT predict the rest of the action taking place in Charleston in separate articles. But which players do you think will win?
WTA Charleston Day 3 Predictions
Emma Navarro vs Katie Volynets
Head-to-head: Volynets 1-0 Navarro
Volynets won the longest WTA match of the year in three hours and 43 minutes to in the previous round. She also saved two match points in the final-set tiebreak against Arantxa Rus. Volynets is an extremely fit player and I do not think recovering from Monday’s marathon will be an issue for her. But Navarro is still a pretty big favorite to progress. Despite Volynets’ excellent recent form, Navarro has also been playing very well and is more naturally comfortable on clay. The higher-ranked American to win a match with lots of long rallies.
Prediction: Navarro in 2
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Caroline Dolehide
Head-to-head: First meeting
WTA Elite Trophy champion Haddad Maia will probably be happy to switch to the clay. She has struggled since a run to the semifinal in Abu Dhabi at the start of February and will look for more success on the dirt after her run to the semifinal of the French Open last year. Yet, Dolehide could make this a tricky match. She fought through in three sets in her last round and is a great competitor. Overall, Haddad Maia’s superior clay court ability should prevail at the WTA Charleston Open, but Dolehide is capable of taking advantage if the Brazilian is off her game.
Prediction: Haddad Maia in 2
Victoria Azarenka vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Head-to-head: First meeting
Last year’s Australian Open semifinalist Azarenka came so close to reaching another final at the Miami Open last week, losing in a final-set tiebreak to Elena Rybakina. The Belarusian undoubtedly plays her best tennis on hard courts, with her clay court results declining as she has gotten older. By contrast, Cocciaretto prefers playing on the dirt. The problem for the Italian is she played a very long first-round match and comes into this match without a day’s rest between matches. Even if Azarenka is not at her best, a lack of freshness is likely to cost Cocciaretto at the WTA Charleston Open.
Prediction: Azarenka in 2
Sloane Stephens vs Leylah Fernandez
Head-to-head: Fernandez 3-0 Fernandez
Stephens was superb in her 6-0 6-2 thrashing of an admittedly struggling Magdaelena Frech in the last round. Fernandez has won all three of her previous meetings against the American, with her flat left-handed backhand and aggressive returning causing the 2017 US Open champion huge problems. However, all those meetings were on a hard court. At her best, Stephens is a better clay court player than the Canadian. The extra bounce of the surface will help keep the ball out of the strike zone of Fernandez and allow the 31-year-old to attack with her forehand. Stephens can be inconsistent but I think she will get a first victory against Fernandez.
Prediction: Stephens in 2
More must-reads: