There are just four players left in Columbia, three of which have never lifted a WTA title. Tamara Zidansek is the only remaining seed and the deserved favourite based on her play so far this week. However, hometown her Maria Camila Osorio Serrano seems to be growing in confidence with each match she plays. The teen sensation appears to be the real deal and will surely like her chances of picking up a first title in her home country. Osorio Serrano and Zidansek are in separate sides of the draw and so could meet in the finals. We discuss whether we think they will do just that in our WTA Bogota semifinal predictions.
WTA Bogota Semifinal Predictions
Maria Camila Osorio Serrano vs Harmony Tan
Head-to-head:
Another straight sets win in Bogota means Columbian native Osorio Serrano is in her first ever WTA semifinal. The teenage prodigy has looked good all week and has grown in confidence with each win she has picked up. Such has been her growth this week that she is now surely the favourite to come out of this half of the draw. She has played with good margin and patience throughout the week, constructing points for as long as is necessary to force an error or an opening. Her straight sets win over Stefanie Voegele was particularly impressive.
Harmony Tan continues to impress in Bogota. Her most recent outing saw her dismiss former champion Lara Arruabarrena in straight sets. Tan’s success has predominantly come on hard courts so far in her young career, so this run is somewhat surprising even with the weaker field on display in Columbia. That being said, her dream run looks to be coming to an end. Osorio Serrano is far more comfortable on the clay, is arguably the better player and has the advantage of playing on home soil. If Tan continues at her current level this should be a great match. However, it is still a match Osorio Serrano should win.
Prediction: Osorio Serrano in 3
Tamara Zidansek vs Viktoriya Tomova
Head-to-head:
Zidansek has been in sublime form all week in Bogota. She is yet to drop a set in the tournament and has looked far and away the best player in the field. In her quarterfinal match she battled hard to get past Sara Errani, coming from 4-0 down in the second set eventually win 6-3 6-4. Zidansek has played with great variety and struck the ball cleanly on both wings so far in this tournament. No-one has been particularly effective at safeguarding their own service games. However, Zidansek has done better than most and lost serve just twice in each of her first two matches. She was put to the sword a bit by Errani in the second set though, and cannot afford a similar lapse against Viktoriya Tomova.
The Hungarian has played some good tennis this week. Her win against Yafan Wang was particularly impressive. Tomova booked her place in the semifinals by coming from behind to beat Nuria Parrizas-Diaz in her quarterfinal match. She got off to a slow start, but was comfortably the better player from the second set onwards. She will need to start better and protect her serve more if she is going to have a chance against Zidansek. Tomova will want it more, as a win in Bogota could mean a debut inside the top 100 for her. However, Zidansek has looked to solid and sure of her game this week for me to pick against her now.
Prediction: Zidansek in 3
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