Day 3 (Wednesday, January 7) of the ASB Classic 2026 in Auckland will mark the start of the second round. Second seed Emma Navarro was the one of the high-profile names to be eliminated in the first round.
Navarro was sent packing by Francesca Jones in three sets. Seven-time Major champion Venus Williams and former US Open champion Sloane Stephens also suffered the same fate. The former was eliminated by Magda Linette, while the latter went down to Renata Zarazua.
Players will now aim to book their spots in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. With that in mind, here are the predictions for all the women’s singles matches lined up on Day 3 of the ASB Classic:
Auckland 2026 Day 3: Women’s singles predictions
#1. Iva Jovic vs Sara Bejlek
Two of the tour’s most promising young stars are set to lock horns in this contest. Iva Jovic won her maiden WTA title in Guadalajara last year, and cracked the top 40 of the WTA rankings. She overturned a one-set deficit to beat Gabriela Knutson 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 in the first round of the ASB Classic.
Sara Bejlek’s run in Auckland started with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Panna Udvardy. This will be her first career meeting against Jovic. The young American has set herself apart with her results compared to most players in the same age group.
Even though Jovic is a year younger than Bejlek, she’s already ahead of her in terms of accomplishments. As such, the American teenager’s victory in this match-up wouldn’t be too surprising.
Predicted winner: Iva Jovic
#2. Wang Xinyu vs Renata Zarazua
Wang Xinyu fought from a set down to beat Caty McNally 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in her opener here. Renata Zarazua was also pushed to three sets by Sloane Stephens, and ultimately prevailed over the American with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 win.
This will be the second career meeting between them. Zarazua won their prior encounter in the wake of Wang’s mid-match retirement during their quarterfinal showdown at the Nottingham Open 2021.
Both players can punch way above their weight at times. Wang stunned Madison Keys in the first round of the US Open 2025, while Wang outfoxed Coco Gauff in Berlin last year. Wang has a higher ceiling compared to Zarazua, so if the former channels her best, she should be able to get the btter of the latter.
Predicted winner: Wang Xinyu
#3. Sinja Kraus vs Francesca Jones
Predicted winner: Francesca Jones
#4. Sofia Costoulas vs Kaitlin Quevedo
Predicted winner: Sofia Costoulas
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