Section 7 is probably the most stacked in the whole draw. 7th seed Patricia Maria Tig retired in Paris and this will be her first match since then. To start her qualifying campaign, Tig drew last year’s Junior Wimbledon winner Anastasia Potapova. A lot of uncertainty surrounds Tig, so this could be a good chance for Potapova. Another strong contender is 21-year-old Elizaveta Kulichkova. Kulichkova qualified for Birmingham and came very close to beating Garbine Muguruza. Standing in her way will be 21st seed Olga Govortsova, who reached the 4th Round just 2 years ago. Also in the draw is Michelle Larcher De Brito, who managed to reach the 3rd Round twice before. This section is really a coin flip, and whether it is wishful thinking or just believing in young prospects, I will pick Anastasia Potapova.
My Pick: Anastasia Potapova
This section is almost impossible to predict, as these eight players have produced a grand total of zero wins on grass. Seeds Mariana Duque-Marino and Fangzhou Liu prefer other surfaces. Since someone will have to qualify, I have to pick someone. Brit Tara Moore seems the most obvious choice. Last year, Moore received a wildcard into the main draw where she beat Van Uytvanck and took a set off Svetlana Kuznetsova. The No. 216 has failed to win a set on grass this year, which is a testament to the hopelessness of this section.
My Pick: Tara Moore
The two seeds, Taylor Townsend and Dalma Galfi, are Junior Slam champions. While Dalma Galfi never made it past 2nd Round at Junior Wimbledon, Taylor Townsend lost in the final to Belinda Bencic in 2013. This should be a good chance for the American to earn her first Wimbledon win. There’s a couple of dangerous floaters in the section. Polona Hercog of Slovenia is the former No. 35 coming back to the tour. Antonia Lottner came through qualifying to upset World No. 7 Dominika Cibulkova in s-Hertogenbosch. Former Junior No. 2 Katie Swan is also looking to make good on her wild card. I think it will be Townsend coming through, but there are other viable options like Lottner or Galfi.
My Pick: Taylor Townsend
Two 17-year-olds and Junior rivals, 10th seed Kayla Day and Bianca Andreescu, were drawn in the first round of qualifying. Even though Day is ranked higher in both WTA and Junior rankings, Andreescu leads the head-to-head 3-2. The Canadian won their only meeting on grass at Roehampton in 2015. Andreescu played two grass tournaments, while Day played on clay, which will give the Canadian the edge. 18-year-old Fanny Stollar and 19-year-old Viktoria Kuzmova are also contending for this qualifying spot. Kuzmova and Day had the best results at Junior Wimbledon (Semifinals), and as Kuzmova prepared on grass, I am inclined to say that she will be the one to qualify. Kuzmova should have the easier first and second round, which should also help her against a final round opponent.
My Pick: Viktoria Kuzmova
Clearly the section of Kaia Kanepi. The former World No. 15 didn’t play any lead-up tournaments and her only other tournament was a title from ITF Essen. Kanepi is undefeated in 2017. Her opening opponent Lesley Kerkhove failed to win a set against Kudryavtseva and Taylor. It is a section without big names other than Kanepi. 11th seed Tamara Korpatsch and Tereza Smitkova (4th Round in 2014) would rank after Kanepi. If Kanepi is fit, I fully expect her to come through Wimbledon qualifying for the first time in her career.
My Pick: Kaia Kanepi
The contenders for the 12th and final spot in the main draw are Destanee Aiava, Marina Erakovic, and Amra Sadikovic (all unseeded). 17-year-old Aiava has risen from No. 388 to No. 170 since the beginning of the year. The young Aussie went 2-2 on grass and is looking for her first bigger result at Wimbledon. Aiava hasn’t gone past 1st Round of Junior Wimbledon. Marina Erakovic of New Zealand has probably the strongest case. Former No. 39 reached semifinals out of qualifying in Ilkley and reached the 3rd Round of Wimbledon on three different occasions, including last year. Amra Sadikovic plays serve and volley. The Swiss qualified last year and lost to Serena Williams. Erakovic and Sadikovic meet in the first round, Erakovic leads the head-to-head 2-0. Marina Erakovic will be motivated to defend her 3rd Round. I expect her to qualify and be impactful in the main draw.
My Pick: Marina Erakovic
