Hunter out hunting for a second round at IW?

Magdalena Fręch comes into this tournament as the logical favorite, but physically worn out after her run in Mérida, where she played five intense matches in six days and finished as runner-up against Cristina Bucșa last Sunday. She was running on empty. Four days of physical recovery, but what about the mental side? She plays some beautiful tennis on slow surfaces and is clearly improving.

Storm Hunter is the best-prepared player for this matchup after coming through qualifying without dropping a set against Sinja Kraus and Léolia Jeanjean. The Australian, a former world No. 1 in doubles, is finding her rhythm again in singles after her serious injury in 2024 and is posting impressive serving stats, with over 68% of points won behind her first serve in her recent matches. Her ability to vary trajectories with her lefty arm and to attack Magdalena at the net is her biggest asset to finally shake up the hierarchy and take advantage of the potential emotional fatigue accumulated by the Pole in this tricky first round.

The head-to-head is in favor of the Polish player but it goes back a while. It’s a baseliner duel, but Hunter’s doubles-player profile and her endless resilience really make me question the Polish player’s status as the favorite.