The quarterfinals are set in Parma and feature some of the bigger names on the WTA Tour. Each will be looking to make the perfect final preparations ahead of the French Open with a win in Italy. Five of the top eight seeds remain and they will all be hopeful of lifting the title come Saturday. Favourite among them is #2 seed Petra Martic who finally seems to have found her best tennis at just the right time. Among those hoping to stop her are former top ten players Sloane Stephens and Caroline Garcia. We take a look at who among those remaining should move on to the semifinals in our WTA Parma quarterfinal predictions.
WTA Parma Quarterfinal Predictions
Katerina Siniakova vs Caroline Garcia
Head-to-head: 3 – 2 Siniakova
Katerina Siniakova will be on cloud nine after defeating Serena Williams in straight sets in her last match. The Czech has great court coverage, particularly on the clay. She also has deft touch courtesy of her regular forays on the doubles circuit. She often strings together runs like this which help keep her well inside the top 100. If she is to keep progressing in Parma she will need to serve well as that can often be a chink in her armour.
Facing her is former world #4 Garcia. The Frenchwomen is far removed from the tennis that saw her touted as the next big thing in the women’s game. However, when she is at her best she is very hard to stop. She is very capable off of both wings and has a strong, if somewhat mechanical, serve. It’s hard to pick against her when she gets up a head of steam and she seems to be doing just that this week. Take Garcia to advance in this match.
Prediction: Garcia in 3
Sloane Stephens vs Sara Errani
Head-to-head: 1 – 1
Sara Errani benefitted from the retirement of Sara Sorribes Tormo in the last round to advance to the quarterfinal stage in Parma. She now faces the talented but out of form Sloane Stephens. Stephens has fallen far from the heights of her US Open triumph and has been one of the worst players on the women’s tour in the last 12 months. She is only still in the top 100 on the women’s tour by virtue of the protected ranking system.
However, she has shown signs of a revival on clay this year and another win may well go a long way towards her finding her feet again. She still looks well off the ball, but she should have enough to advance against a determined but underequipped Errani in this one. The American advances here.
Prediction: Stephens in 2
Qiang Wang vs Petra Martic
Head-to-head: 1 – 0 Wang
Martic looks every bit the player who made her way into the top 20 in the world in 2019. She has the variety of game to be a real challenge on clay and has played very well in Parma so far. She faces Qiang Wang, a talented Chinese veteran of the tour who’s game is better suited to hard courts than the red dirt. Wang is a fierce competitor but it’s hard to pick against Martic when she is in this kind of form so I’m not going to. Martic advances here.
Prediction: Martic in 3
Cori Gauff vs Amanda Anisimova
Head-to-head: 1 – 0 Anisimova
The American teen sensations are set for a quarterfinal showdown in Parma that should be must-see tennis. Gauff is in fine form after a semifinal run in Rome last week. Conversely, Anisimova is trying to rediscover the form that saw her make the semifinal of the 2019 edition of Roland Garros. Both are more than capable clay court players and will like their chances of lifting the title in Parma. I like Gauff’s variety, but I think the effortless power of Anisimova will get her over the line here. This one will likely go the distance so strap yourselves in for some brilliant tennis.
Prediction: Anisimova in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
