Top Seeds Avanesyan and Cristian Set for Action at Iasi Open

Iași, Romania – No. 1 seed Elina Avanesyan and No. 2 seed Jaqueline Cristian are both set to compete on Thursday at the WTA UniCredit Iasi Open. Avanesyan, last year’s runner-up, is hoping to rebound from a rough patch as she aims for another title at this event. Meanwhile, Cristian is on the verge of reaching the Top 100 and faces Panna Udvardy in her upcoming match.

In a previous head-to-head meeting, Irene Burillo Escorihuela edged out Waltert 2-1. After competing three times at the ITF level from 2018 to 2022, they will now clash on a larger stage. Simona Waltert has been progressing rapidly, while Burillo Escorihuela nearly upset champion Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the first round at Bastad last week. Waltert is expected to put forth her best effort on Thursday.

Prediction for Waltert’s match: she is expected to win in two sets. In another matchup, Udvardy reached the final in Iasi two years ago when it was a WTA 125 event, but her progress has plateaued since then. Francesca Jones, on the other hand, recently won the title in Contrexeville and hopes to debut in the Top 100. Fatigue could play a role later in the week, but she is currently riding a wave of confidence.

The head-to-head between Cristian and Udvardy stands at 2-0 in favor of Cristian. Even though Cristian did not win a match during the grass-court season, she has returned to clay, where she feels more comfortable. She enjoyed a successful run in Rabat recently, which boosted her confidence ahead of the match against Jana Fett.

Avanesyan, who is also eager to reclaim her title, faced a tough battle last year, losing a significant lead against Mirra Andreeva. Before this week’s tournament, Avanesyan had not won a match since Miami and is looking for a strong performance as she competes against Maria Carle. The prediction for Avanesyan’s match suggests she will win in three sets.