The semis are set at the Ladies Championships at the WTA Lausanne. With Jil Teichmann’s loss on Friday, we already know the trophy will be hoisted by a foreign player, but who?
WTA Lausanne Semifinal Predictions
Fiona Ferro vs Bernarda Pera
Head to Head: Pera 1-0 Ferro
Ferro, who had scraped her way into the quarterfinals, played one of her best matches of the season against Samantha Stosur. The French won a stout 81% of her first serve points in her 6-4 6-2 victory. Thus, Ferro is guaranteed at least 110 WTA points for the week, which is huge, considering 130 points from her 2018 Olomuc ITF title were coming off the books. Should she keep progressing in Lausanne, the 22-year-old would net more points (180 or 280) than in any previous tournament throughout her career.
For her part, Pera outlasted Xinyun Han 6-0 5-7 6-3. In line with her performances of the first two rounds, the American looked utterly dominant early on. Nevertheless, she went through a rough stretch afterward, so Han leveled the match at one set apiece. Eventually, Pera won the points that mattered most and secured her semifinal berth.
Neither Ferro nor Pera have ever advanced to a tour level final, so this duel is massive for both. Ultimately, I believe the lefty Pera has an extra gear on clay.
Prediction: Pera in 3
Tamara Korpatsch vs Alize Cornet
Head to Head: first meeting
According to Tennis Abstract’s Forecast, Korpatsch was a clear underdog in all three matches this week. Of course, she went on to defy logic and win them all in three sets. On Friday, she crushed the hopes of Swiss fans by defeating Teichmann 3-6 6-0 6-1. In the process, the German made her first career semifinal on the main tour. Granted Korpatsch is on a tear right now, but she’s a big underdog again versus Cornet.
The third seed and defending champion fought her way back from a slow start against Natalia Vikhlyantseva, winning 4-6 6-1 6-3. Amazingly, this was the first time in 2019 that Cornet overcame a one-set deficit. About time! To defend a crown, a player must survive tricky situations. Cornet is the lone seed remaining. All eyes are on her. Being resilient against the streaking Korpatsch is paramount for the French.
All in all, I think the gap in experience is a tremendous advantage for Cornet.
Prediction: Cornet in 2
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Disagree with our WTA Lausanne semifinal predictions? As always, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.
