The Citi Open tennis tournament proceeds into the second round after first-round play began on Tuesday. Some first-round tennis picks originally scheduled on Tuesday carried over into Wednesday’s order of play, but we’re looking here at Wednesday matches in.
We had three tennis picks on the day but were only able to get through one of them. The good news is that was a win. The good news is that our lone pick on the day that went through was a victory. Monica Puig needed the full three sets but she did end up moving on and cashing for us. We also have Kristina Mladenovic still pending. She won the first set of her match but was trailing 3-1 in the second set before it was delayed. We also have Shelby Rogers versus Lauren Davis, and they’re tied at 4-4 in the first set.
With those still pending, here are our tennis picks for Wednesday.
Jessica Pegula vs. Christina McHale
In this match, McHale has to be considered the runaway favorite. She very nearly beat Serena Williams at Wimbledon this year, getting to 4-4 in the third set before Serena put her foot down and managed to squeak out that win. McHale served a lot better than she had for most of her career. She hit great defensive lobs and won a lot of points from defensive positions, more than she’s done in the past. She gives Serena trouble – their matches are often close – and anyone who can bother Serena Williams on the court obviously has a considerable amount of talent. Pegula is not in McHale’s league in terms of what she can do on the court. There’s a discernible gap between the two players. McHale has underachieved in that she doesn’t seem to bring the same fire to all her matches as she does against Serena. There is something to the idea that she plays to the competition – up against the great players, but down to the level of her opponent when her opponent is not that good. There’s a real risk that McHale could come out flat against Pegula, but after that performance against Serena a few weeks ago, it’s hard to see McHale laying an egg here. She should be able to get through this match; making a deep run in Washington, D.C., should be seen as the true question mark for McHale this week. Take McHale with your tennis picks in this spot.
Pick: McHale in straight sets
Yulia Putintseva vs. Usue Maitane Arconada
This is a match which appears to be lopsided. Putintseva was a Roland Garros quarterfinalist earlier this year. She gave Serena Williams trouble, winning the first set before losing in three sets. Putintseva is small, but she is nimble and fleet afoot. She scrambles well on defense and forces players to hit several extra shots to win points. Arconada is a relatively inexperienced opponent who is likely to get frustrated by the amount of balls that will come back at her. She will need to find angles to win points quickly, but her skill level is probably not at the point where it can rescue her in this match. Putintseva has a great draw here and should be able to make the most of it on Wednesday. Take her with your tennis picks.
Pick: Putintseva in straight sets
Samantha Stosur vs. Caroline Wozniacki
This is a match which has some box office power. It’s an early-round matchup between a former Grand Slam champion – Stosur won the 2011 U.S. Open – and a former World No. 1 (Wozniacki) who has made multiple appearances in Grand Slam finals. However, keep in mind that Wozniacki has fallen a long way. The good news is that Woz will appear on this coming episode of HBO’s Ballers.
Neither player inspires complete confidence, but Stosur made the French Open semifinals and has enjoyed some moments of modest prosperity this season. Wozniacki has really struggled to win consecutive matches at just about every tournament. Give Stosur a slight advantage. She’s the better bet for your tennis picks in this spot.
Pick: Stosur in three sets
