The WTA Tour rolls on with a 500-level event in Merida, Mexico, with the Merida Open. Founded in 2023, WTA Merida has made the move from a WTA 250 event to WTA 500 and draws a solid field of some of the top women in the world. As always, we at LWOT offer our preview and prediction for every match on the slate. But who will advance?

WTA Merida Day 2 Predictions
Janice Tjen vs Camila Osorio

Head-to-Head: first meeting

23-year-old Janice Tjen has flown up the rankings over the last year and now sits at a career-high No. 36 in the world. She is coming off some big wins in the Middle East, taking down Haddad Maia, Yastremska, and Fernandez. Her WTA Merida opponent, Camila Osorio, also played well during the Middle Eastern swing. She comes into this match having won nine of her last ten matches, with five of those wins coming against higher-ranked opponents. This match is primed for an upset, but I will side with the No. 6 seed, who I believe is capable of producing a higher level of tennis than Osorio.

Prediction: Tjen in 3

Jessica Bouzas Maneiro vs Heather Watson

Head-to-Head: Bouzas Maneiro 0-1 Watson

Jessica Bouzas Maneiro is struggling. She has won just a single match this season, with four of her six losses coming to players ranked below her. She looks to get back on track against Heather Watson, who is back on tour for the first time since August after a lengthy injury layoff. The 33-year-old Brit had even been struggling when healthy over the past few seasons. This should be a solid get-right spot for the Spaniard.

Prediction: Bouzas Maneiro in 2

Magdalena Frech vs Maria Timofeeva

Head-to-Head: Frech 1-0 Timofeeva

It’s been an interesting start to the 2026 season for Magdalena Frech, who has seemingly rotated between wins and losses throughout the first two months of the year. The 28-year-old Pole is 6-7 in all competitions and has struggled against the upper-echelon of the sport. Luckily for her, she squares off against No. 155 Maria Timofeeva in Merida. The 22-year-old has incredible tools and rips the ball when she is in form, but Frech has proven she takes care of her lower-ranked opponents.

Prediction: Frech in 2

Magda Linette vs Tatjana Maria

Head-to-Head: Linette 1-0 Maria

No. 8 seed Magda Linette is coming off a solid tournament in Dubai, where she ousted World No. 12 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round. The 34-year-old Pole is 9-5 to begin the year, and is on pace to win her most tour-level matches in a season since 2019. Across the net, Tatjana Maria will be no walkover. There is a reason she is still on the WTA Tour at age 39. The German has not started the year in the best of form, but she is always a candidate to pull off an upset.

Prediction: Linette in 3

Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – USA TODAY Sports