It’s been an exciting week of tennis at the WTA “Cincinnati” Western & Southern Open so far. With the WTA matchups scheduled for Tuesday, it’s guaranteed that the good tennis will continue. Who will move on and who will fall short? Read on to find out! We also have predictions for the rest of Tuesday’s matches.
WTA Cincinnati Day 4 Predictions
Veronika Kudermetova vs Elise Mertens
Head to Head: never played
After struggling against Eugenie Bouchard in Prague, Veronika Kudermetova has had a resurgence in “Cincinnati”. After taking out Ajla Tomjanovic in a tight three-setter, Kudermetova beat No. 1 seed Karolina Pliskova in straight sets. It was one of the biggest wins of Kudermetova’s career.
Elise Mertens has had a solid comeback from the pandemic. Mertens has gone 6-2 since tennis’ return, including an appearance in the final of Prague before falling to Simona Halep. Mertens gutted out a tough win against Kristina Mladenovic in the previous round.
These two have never played before. Look for Mertens to be just a little more solid from the baseline and edge this match out. Mertens moves on.
Prediction: Mertens in 3
Alize Cornet vs Victoria Azarenka
Head to Head: 6-0 Azarenka
Alize Cornet has played terrific tennis at the Western & Southern Open this week. She hasn’t dropped a set yet and beat No. 2 seed Sofia Kenin in the previous round. Cornet has counterpunched so well from the baseline.
As evidenced by the head to head, Victoria Azarenka has the game to hit through Cornet. In “Cincinnati”, she has upped her game, taking out Donna Vekic and Caroline Garcia without dropping a set. Her play this tournament has been so much higher than it was previously in her loss to Venus Williams in Lexington.
It might be stupid to predict this, but this could be the time Cornet finally takes down Azarenka. Cornet is going to frustrate Azarenka from the baseline with her consistencies as Azarenka is not nearly as steady from the baseline as she was previously. Cornet will frustrate Azarenka and continue on to the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Cornet in 3
Naomi Osaka vs Dayana Yastremska
Head to Head: never played
Don’t let the scoreline fool you, Naomi Osaka played really well in beating Karolina Muchova. Muchova’s level was extremely high, she effectively used her variety, and yet, Osaka still found a way through the match. Osaka served well and effectively used power and precision from the baseline.
Dayana Yastremska has had to come through two tight matches to reach the round of 16. She beat Venus Williams and Bernarda Pera in three sets to set up the matchup with Osaka. It is worth noting, however, Yastremska does seem to be dealing with an injury.
These two have never played before. Given Osaka’s level today and Yastremska’s injury issues, Osaka seems like the clear favorite to advance. Osaka will be a quarterfinalist at the Western & Southern Open.
Prediction: Osaka in 2
Maria Sakkari vs Serena Williams
Head to Head: never played
Serena Williams toughed out a brutal match against Arantxa Rus. Williams won the match in a third set tiebreak, showing once again how gritty of a player she can be. Williams wasn’t near her best, but still found a way to win.
Maria Sakkari has had a strong start to the tournament. She beat Coco Gauff and Yulia Putintseva in straight sets and has controlled the baseline well during her time in “Cincinnati.”
These two have never played an official match before (although Williams did win in straight sets during the Hopman Cup). Sakkari has played at a high level so far during this tournament, while Serena struggled big-time today. It’s never wise to count Serena out, but Sakkari has been the better player so far during this tournament. Expect Sakkari to force a lot of errors from Williams’ racquet and advance to the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Sakkari in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
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