Day4 two at WTA Hamburg will feature some exciting matches, with the defendig champion amongst those in action in northern Germany. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, but who will come out on top?
WTA Hamburg Day 1 Predictions
Caroline Werner vs Valentina Steiner
Head-to-head: first meeting
Caroline Werner will aim to leverage her experience against fellow German player Valentina Steiner. Both athletes successfully navigated the qualifying, with Steiner continuing her good form having recently made two finals on clay, albeit not on the main tour. This being first meeting between two Germans on very different sides of the generational divide adds an air of intrigue, but the teenaged steiner should have enough to step up and overcome Werner. Expect her to demonstrate why she is an emerging talent.
Prediction: Steiner in 3
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Sinja Kraus vs Berfu Cengiz
Head-to-head: Kraus 1-0 Cengiz
Sinja Kraus will be confident about advancing to the round of 16 in Hamburg having has previously thrashed 6-2 6-1 Berfu Cengiz in a W50 match on clay last year. Currently ranked #430th, Cengiz has not secured a win on the main tour in 2025, and it doesn’t look like that is going to change in Hamburg. In familiar if not quite home conditions, the Austrian Kraus should win comfortably enough.
Prediction: Kraus in 2
Anna Bondar vs Noma Noha Akugue
Head-to-head: Bondar 1-0 Akugue
Anna Bondar did not make any real impact on the grass courts at Eastbourne and Wimbledon, but she hits the ground running on clay and will feel she can get past the German on this surface, having defeated in their only previous meeting, albeit on hard courts. Although Akugue is also experienced on clay, even finishing as runner-up here two years ago, most of her recent competition has been at lower levels. Bondar is vastly more experienced on the main tour and should be expected to, at the very least, overcome this first hurdle to defending her title.
Prediction: Bondar in 2
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Julia Grabher vs Lois Boisson
Head-to-head: first meeting
Lois Boisson will need to adapt to the increased scrutiny is due to come her way after her impressive performance at Roland-Garros. The French up-and-comer captivated fans by making it to the semi-finals in her home tournament as a wildcard, but she has not had much success since then. Indeed, he has lost three of her last four matches and will no doubt be desperate to get back to winning ways and resume her journey toward breaking into the top 50.
This will be her first encounter with Julia Grabher, who has been struggling to secure wins herself so far this year. The Austrian is adept at playing on clay and will look to rise to the occasion against Boisson, who is now aware that she has become a target and must learn to cope with the increased expectations. But if Boisson can rediscover the level she showed at Wimbledon, or anything even close to it, she should have the beating of Grabher.
Prediction: Boisson in 3
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images