Abu Dhabi Open Day 1: Women's singles predictions ft. Ashlyn Krueger vs McCartney Kessler, Caroline Garcia vs Lulu Sun

Day 1 of the Abu Dhabi Open will see five singles matches take place. The likes of Caroline Garcia and Ashlyn Krueger will be in action at the Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre as they look to book their spots in the second round of the WTA 500 event.

Garcia will be up against Lulu Sun while Krueger will face compatriot McCartney Kessler. The likes of Liudmila Samsonova and Katie Volynets will also be in action at the Zayed Sports City International Centre.

On that note, let us take a look at how the singles matches on Day 1 of the Abu Dhabi Open can pan out.

#1. Caroline Garcia vs Lulu Sun

Caroline Garcia will face Lulu Sun in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open in what will be the very first meeting between the two. The winner of the match will face either eighth seed Leylah Fernandez or Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round.

Both players will be entering the Abu Dhabi Open at the back of first-round exits, with Garcia losing to Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open while Sun was beaten by Sara Sorribes Tormo at the Linz Open.

Neither player has won a single match so far in 2025 and while Sun is considerable higher-ranked, Garcia should not be written off as she is capable of coming out on top on her day.

Predicted Winner: Caroline Garcia

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#2. Liudmila Samsonova vs Polina Kudermetova

Fifth seed Liudmila Samsonova will face Polina Kudermetova in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open. The two will lock horns for the third time, with their head-to-head currently tied at 1-1.Kudermetova did win the last match between the two, triumphing 6-7(7), 6-3, 6-2 over her compatriot in the second round of the Brisbane International.

Samsonova will enter the WTA 500 event after suffering a second-round exit at the Australian Open. Kudermetova endured back-to-back opening-round defeats at the Melbourne Major and the Singapore Tennis Open.

While the 21-year-old beat Samsonova just weeks back, the latter has had some remarkable results in Abu Dhabi, reaching the final in 2023 and the semifinals in 2024. Hence, there is a good chance of the fifth seed coming out on top and reaching the Round of 16 of the WTA 500 event.

Predicted Winner: Liudmila Samsonova

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#3. Ashlyn Krueger vs McCartney Kessler

Ashlyn Krueger will face compatriot McCartney Kessler in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open. It will be the very first encounter between the two.

Both players lost in the first round of the Australian Open, with Krueger being narrowly beaten by Ajla Tomljanovic while Kessler lost to Zhang Shuai in straight sets. Kessler entered the qualifiers of the Abu Dhabi Open and qualified for the main draw after straight-set wins over Yuliia Starodubtseva and Teodora Kostovic.

The 25-year-old has produced some decent performances so far this season, winning six out of eight main-draw matches and clinching the Hobart International. Krueger has won five out of eight main-draw fixtures, most notably reaching the quarterfinals of the Adelaide International.

Given Kessler's marginally better form and her dominant wins in qualifying, there is a very good chance of her defeating Krueger even if the latter is the higher-ranked player out of the two.

Predicted Winner: McCartney Kessler

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#4. Katie Volynets vs Sonay Kartal

Katie Volynets will face Sonay Kartal in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open, in what will be the first meeting between the two. The winner of the match will lock horns with top seed and defending champion Elena Rybakina in the second round of the competition.

Both players reached the main draw of the WTA 500 event via qualifiers, with Volynets registering straight-set wins over Heather Watson and Daria Saville. Kartal, on the other hand, had to come back from a set down to beat Chloe Paquet in her first qualifier before defeating Moyuka Uchijima 6-1, 6-4.

Volynets has won two out of five main-draw matches so far in 2025 while Kartal is yet to win a main-draw fixture this year. Katie Volynets is the higher-ranked player and will be heavily favored to come out on top.

Predicted Winner: Katie Volynets