Seven singles matches kick off main draw action on Monday at the 2025 WTA Hobart International. No. 7 seed Rebecca Sramkova takes on McCartney Kessler, while Veronika Kudermetova will look to find some form back against 2023 runner-up Elisabetta Cocciaretto. Who do you think will prevail?
WTA Hobart Day 1 Predictions
McCartney Kessler vs Rebecca Sramkova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Rebecca Sramkova earned herself so many months of playing on the main tour with her incredible second half of 2024. These are opportunities that the Slovak had never received in the past and it will be fascinating to see how she does. So far she went out in three sets to Elina Avanesyan in Brisbane and now faces another improving player in McCartney Kessler. The American has made it through the college route and will be dangerous, but Sramkova could enjoy facing someone with a more typical ball than last week.
Prediction: Sramkova in 3
Viktoriya Tomova vs Greet Minnen
Head-to-head: Minnen 1-0
Greet Minnen has already played four matches in 2025, getting a solid win in Auckland before getting through the qualifying here. Especially her last win over Lucia Bronzetti seems like it might help her grab some good rhythm, owing to the Italian’s relentless consistency off the ground. That’s really important against Viktoriya Tomova, who’ll mostly be trying to respond to Minnen’s forehand aggression. If the Belgian can choose her spots to attack wisely, she should have the firepower to claim the win.
Prediction: Minnen in 2
Veronika Kudermetova vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Head-to-head: First meeting
Polina Kudermetova made all the headlines last week with the final run in Brisbane and she will now be ranked higher than her sister, Veronika. That felt almost impossible a few years back, but the Russian fell off from her Top 10 days and has been struggling to recover. It wasn’t a great start to the season for her either, getting just five games against Peyton Stearns. It’s tough to say if she can handle a grinder like Elisabetta Cocciaretto right now. If her powerful game produces too many errors, the Italian will make her pay.
Prediction: Kudermetova in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports