The WTA Stuttgart party enters Day 3 with five matches on the cards. Two-time champion Iga Swiatek will be in action, as will home favorite Ella Seidel, who has defied all odds to remain in the mix. Four other matches are lined up, and we at LWOT offer predictions on who will progress.
WTA Stuttgart Day 3 Predictions
Tatjana Maria vs Ella Seidel
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Lucky loser Ella Seidel hopes to face Coco Gauff after stepping in for Danielle Collins in the Stuttgart main draw for the first time. The 20-year-old was defeated by Dayana Yastremska in the final qualifying round but received an opportunity to play due to the withdrawal of the American.
This match will see the world number 124 face veteran Tatjana Maria, who has had difficulty making a significant impact at the top level this year. However, she did reach the quarter-finals on clay in Bogota at the end of March.
This generational battle, the first between both players, could hinge on how well the younger player manages the pressure and considering the home fans wouldn’t have a favourite, let’s back the younger German to seize her opportunity and rise to the occasion.
Prediction: Seidel in 3
Elise Mertens vs Diana Shnaider
Head–to–Head: Mertens 1 vs 0 Shnaider
Elise Mertens recently moved past some inconsistent performances to defeat Aliaksandra Sasnovich in straight sets and will face eighth seed Shnaider in the second round. Two years ago, Mertens secured a straight-sets victory over the Russians on the hard courts of Monterrey, and she will aim to regain the form that earned her the Doha title in February to progress in this tournament.
Shnaider, now 21, presents a more formidable challenge two years later. If she can harness her power effectively, she will prove difficult to beat, as she rallied against Veronika Kudermetova in the first round.
While the Belgian Mertens has the potential to outshine anyone on her day, Shnaider is the better player on this surface, especially indoors and will edge what will be a potential slugfest.
Prediction: Shnaider in 3
Magdalena Frech vs Sara Errani
Head–to–Head: Frech 2 vs 1 Errani
Magdalena Frech aims to secure her first victory in six matches against lucky loser Sara Errani.. The Polish player is ranked 124 places higher than the 37-year-old Italian, whose prime years in singles are clearly behind her. While Errani boasts impressive credentials on clay and made it to the 2012 French Open final, her most notable achievements have been in doubles. She only managed to win one singles match in 2025 before defeating Nastasja Schunk in the qualifying round in Stuttgart.
Both players are struggling with their form, but Frech has been competing at a higher level despite mixed results, and she did prevail in their only prior matchup in a W100 event in Spain two years ago.
The World #28 concluded 2024 at her highest ranking yet and must find a way to elevate her game quickly to avoid slipping out of the top 30.
Prediction: Frech in 3
Iga Swiatek vs Jana Fett
Head–to–Head: Swiatek 1 vs 0 Fett
The Queen of Clay, Iga Swiatek, begins her favourite part of the season with a clash against Croatian underdog Jana Fett. The two-time champion has a 10-1 record in Stuttgart, but her flawless run was snapped last year by Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals.
The five-time Grand Slam champion has yet to lift a title this year and was shocked by wildcard Alexandra Eala in her most recent match in the Miami quarter-finals. The Pole will feel confident of a deep run again at this tournament and perhaps be surprised not to meet Donna Vekic after world #20 suffered a shock defeat to her fellow Croatian Jana Fett. The world #153 ran out a 7-6 6-4 victor over her compatriot but will need an even more spectacular performance to take down Swiatek.
They have met once before, at Wimbledon in 2022, with the Pole dropping just three games. It will be extremely hard to make a case against a clear favorite in Swiatek, who will expect to win this in straight sets.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Mirra Andreeva vs Erika Andreeva
Head–to–Head: Andreeva 0 vs 1 Andreeva
The ascent of Mirra Andreeva shows no signs of slowing down, but the 17-year-old’s debut match on clay this season presents a challenging encounter with her older sister. The seventh seed secured consecutive titles on hard courts in Dubai and Indian Wells and is no stranger to clay, having previously reached the semifinals at Roland-Garros.
Mirra will face her 20-year-old sister, Erika, who is ranked just within the Top 100 and is in the main draw as a lucky loser after falling short in the qualifying rounds. With only five wins in 2025, Erika may struggle, but the sibling rivalry could make this matchup more complicated for Mirra than it seems on paper.
Erika triumphed in their only previous encounter in Wuhan late last year, giving her the confidence to pull off an upset and claim bragging rights again. Nevertheless, the seventh seed has undoubtedly reached new heights since that match in October last year, so we predict the younger Andreeva will equal their head-to-head and advance to the second round.
Prediction: Mirra Andreeva in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
