Donna Vekic vs Elise Mertens Prediction Wuhan Open Tennis Picks 10/7/24

Donna Vekic and Elise Mertens meet in the first round of the 2024 Wuhan Open. The match is scheduled for Monday, October 7. 2024. Here’s our Donna Vekic vs Elise Mertens prediction. This article will also contain a Donna Vekic vs Elise Mertens pick.

Donna Vekic vs Elise Mertens Preview

This will be Donna Vekic’s fourth tournament since August when hard-court tennis resumed on Tour. The Croatian is a modest 4-3 in that time, with three of those wins picked up during her respectable run to the fourth round of the US Open.

Outside of that, she lost in the first round in Cincinnati to Ashlyn Krueger (understandable after the Olympics hangover) and the third round of the China Open this past week to the 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva. Overall, Vekic is 11-9 on outdoor hard courts this season.

She will be playing at the Wuhan Open for the fifth time in her career but doesn’t have the prettiest of records there. She’s won just one main draw match in four previous visits.

Elise Mertens, meanwhile, will be competing in her seventh hard-court tournament since August. The Belgian has been busy, matching Vekic by reaching the US Open last 16. That remains her best result in the second half of the season.

Mertens has lost her last two matches against massive underdogs, in Monastir to Eva Lys and Cristina Bucsa in Beijing. The 28-year-old is 16-13 on hard courts this year, but it is in doubles where she has enjoyed her best results, winning three titles.

Donna Vekic vs Elise Mertens Head-To-Head

• Mertens leads Vekic 1-0 in their series. She recorded that win at the 2023 Hopman Cup on clay.

Donna Vekic vs Elise Mertens Prediction

Although Mertens has played more hard-court matches than Vekic in the second half of the season, she hasn’t reaped many rewards, winning only two of her last five matches. Doubles tennis has been much more productive for the Belgian, who has amassed 27 wins from 39 matches. Vekic should dominate this matchup on a hard court with her all-court tennis and power. I’m happy to back the Croatian in a potentially tight two-setter.