Nikola Bartunkova faces former doubles No. 1 Taylor Townsend in the pick of Day 3 matches at the WTA ATX Open. Former champion Yuan Yue is making the most of her lucky loser spot after reaching the second round. Who will make the last eight at WTA Austin?
WTA Austin Day 3 Predictions
Kamilla Rakhimova vs Oksana Selekhmeteva
Head-to-head: Rakhimova 2-1 Selekhmeteva
Rakhimova is off the early-season skid after picking up her first main draw win of 2026 in the first round of the ATX Open. Beating Anna Bondar in straight sets is massive for confidence. She will look to build on that result for the rest of the week. Selekhmeteva’s rise into the Top 100 has been through sheer grit in the lower tiers. Her blend of excellent timing on the return and depth neutralized Alycia Parks’ power. But Rakhimova will be tough to handle here. The Uzbekistani’s long-awaited breakthrough this season should reset her confidence, and she is better suited to controlling baseline spots and forcing Selekhmeteva to open up the court.
Prediction: Rakhimova in 2
Rebeka Masarova vs Whitney Osuigwe
Head-to-head: Osuigwe 1-0 Masarova
With a busy March on the horizon and plenty of points to defend, Masarova can ill afford an early exit in Austin. And the Swiss is aware of the damage it could have on her ranking. She’s already out of the top 100 after posting one main draw win before this week. But she has the chance to double that tally against Whitney Osuigwe. The American is coming off a big win over Elizabeth Mandlik (her 11th this season) and will be eyeing her first WTA quarterfinal. Masarova owns the heavier striker, but she lost to Osuigwe in their only career meeting. If rallies stretch, this is where Osuigwe could test Masarova’s shot tolerance.
Prediction: Osuigwe in 3
Yuan Yue vs Dalma Galfi
Head-to-head: Yuan 1-1 Galfi
Yue won the second edition of this tournament two seasons ago, only to dip in the mid-career last year, when she lost in the first round. Since then, she’s found the path back to the top 100 a relatively difficult one. But a slice of good fortune went her way when she was granted a very late lucky loser entry following defending champion Jessica Pegula’s withdrawal. Yuan saved three match points on return to beat Rebecca Sramkova in three sets. Galfi, meanwhile, ended the feel-good story of Bianca Andreescu’s comeback on tour at the first hurdle. The Hungarian picked up her first career win in Austin. Yuan’s backhand doesn’t need a big takeback, and she handles pace very well with it. It was a shot that caused Sramkova problems. The Chinese’s familiarity with these conditions should also help.
Prediction: Yuan in 3
Nikola Bartunkova vs Taylor Townsend
Head-to-head: first meeting
In her first match since the Australian Open, Townsend saved a match point to beat lucky loser Linda Fruhvirtova. Townsend was initially scheduled to face Gracheva, but the French player withdrew. Standing between Townsend and a quarterfinal spot in Austin is another Czech player. Bartunkova is having a fine start to the season. She’s stacked plenty of wins and is playing fearless tennis. It’s a recipe that has brought instant success on the big stage with wins over Kasatkina and Bencic in the year’s first Grand Slam. Townsend’s variety is dangerous, but Bartunkova brings direct aggression that I think will disrupt the Americans’ game.
Prediction: Bartunkova in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – USA TODAY Sports
