Just four women are left standing after a terrific week of tennis at the Palermo Ladies Open. Top seed Kiki Bertens has played well, only dropping one set so far, whilst eighth seed Jil Teichmann has not yet dropped a set. Paula Badosa Gibert and Ludmilla Samsonova, meanwhile, have defied expectations. But who will reach the final?
Palermo Ladies Open Semifinal Predictions
Ludmilla Samsonova vs Jil Teichmann
Head-to-head: Teichmann 1-0 Samsonova
Not many would have predicted this matchup earlier this week. Samsonova lost in qualifying but was able to get a spot in the main draw as a lucky loser. She has not wasted that opportunity, playing some superb tennis to storm into the last four. In the quarterfinals, she came from behind to beat Lausanne champion Fiona Ferro in impressive fashion.
Teichmann has played arguably the best tennis of the tournament, although she did benefit from Anna-Lena Friedsam’s retirement when the German was trailing 0-6 0-1 in the quarterfinals. Nonetheless, she has played at a high level all week and, as mentioned above, has not yet dropped a set at the Palermo Ladies Open. And Teichmann’s lefty game and experience in winning the Prague Open earlier this year on clay should be enough to see her through in this encounter, though Samsonova has the quality to make a match of it.
Prediction: Teichmann in 3
Embed from Getty Images
Kiki Bertens vs Paula Badosa Gibert
Head-to-head: first meeting
Badosa Gibert has been turning heads this week with her brand of tennis. In the quarterfinals, she delivered her best performance of the week so far to dismantle the Netherlands’ Arantxa Rus for the loss of just five games. She won an impressive 84 percent of first service points along with showing a calm approach under pressure saving five out of the six break points she faced. That is the type of tennis that makes you a serious threat in any tournament.
Top seed Bertens, meanwhile, has played well in Palermo, as expected. Indeed, she began the week in dominant fashion, beating Ekaterine Gorgodze and Aleksandra Krunic with ease. She was threatened by Jasmine Paolini, however, dropping the second set 6-1, but she dominated the decider to complete a 6-4 1-6 6-1 win. This has all the makings of a close contest, but Bertens is the more consistent and aggressive player. Expect that to give her an unassailable advantage in the end.
Prediction: Bertens in 3
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
