Berlin 2024 Day 1: Women's singles predictions ft. Marta Kostyuk vs Daria Kasatkina

With the grass season underway, many of the WTA stars are set to kick off their journey on the surface at the upcoming Berlin Open. The tournament will feature eight of the Top 10 ranked players.

Day 1 of the tournament promises fans some blockbuster clashes headlined by the match between Marta Kostyuk and Daria Kasatkina. Veteran Arantxa Rus will also feature on the opening day and will be accompanied by the clash between Anna Kalinskaya and Nao Hibino.

Without any further ado, let's take a look at the predictions for some of these matches.

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#1 Marta Kostyuk vs Daria Kasatkina

Marta Kostyuk

Marta Kostyuk and Daria Kasatkina's rivalry will have its sixth chapter at the Berlin Open. The Russian currently edges their head-to-head 3-2.

Kostyuk has elevated her game significantly this year, reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, the finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, and a career-high ranking of 16. She is yet to find her footing on the grass surface, having never made it past the third round at Wimbledon.

She kicked off her grass season at the Rothesay Open but lost to compatriot Daria Snigur in the first round in straight sets.

Kasatkina, on the other hand, has maintained a high quality of tennis over the past few years and 2024 hasn't been any different. Although a dangerous player on any surface, she hasn't made a huge impact on grass recently. Her best result at Wimbledon came in 2018 when she made it to the quarterfinals. She lost in the third round last year.

The Russian got the better of Kostyuk in their only match on grass in 2021 at the Birmingham Classic and might manage to repeat the feat in the first round of the Berlin Open in a match that is likely to be a close encounter.

Predicted Winner: Daria Kasatkina

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#2 Anna Kalinskaya vs Nao Hibino

Anna Kalinskaya

Anna Kalinsakya will face Nao Hibino for the fourth time in their careers. The Russian boasts a commanding 3-0 lead over the Japanese.

Kalinskya has been playing the best tennis of her career this season, reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and the final of the WTA 1000 in Dubai where she defeated Iga Swiatek en route. Having said that, grass hasn't been a surface the Russian has been associated with. She has played in the main draw of Wimbledon twice but was eliminated in the first round on both occasions.

Another player who has struggled to find her footing on the grass surface is Nao Hibino. She has won only a single match in four main draw appearances at Wimbledon. The Japanese has kicked off her grass campaign at the Rothesay Open and was comfortably ousted by Magdalena Frech in the opening round.

Both women haven't been a threat on the grass surface, however, Kalinskaya has managed to get the better of Hibino on several occasions. And with the Russian in fine form and the Japanese struggling, the match should go in Kalinskaya's favor.

Predicted Winner: Anna Kalinskaya

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#3 Arantxa Rus vs Zeynep Sonmez

Arantxa Rus

Arantxa Rus and Zeynep Sonmez will play each other for the first time in their careers.

A player who has been on the tour for more than a decade, Rus is considered a potential threat who could cause major upsets. She has never really made a huge impact in the Grand Slams and her best result in Wimbledon came in 2012 when she reached the third round.

She failed to make it to the main draw last year. The German suffered a first-round exit against Dalma Galfi at the Libema Open.

Meanwhile, Sonmez is a rising star from Turkey who defeated Dayana Yastremska and Emina Bektas in the qualifiers to reach the main draws. She failed to qualify for the Rothesay main draw. The Turk made her main draw debut at a Grand Slam at the French Open and will look to achieve the same at Wimbledon.

Rus' experience should lead to a win against the inexperienced 22-year-old, however, the boost received during the qualifiers could make Sonmez a challenging opening-round opponent.

Predicted Winner: Arantxa Rus