The quarterfinals in Strasbourg were finalised early on Thursday after two Round of 16 matches were delayed due to rain. The withdrawal of favorite Bianca Andreescu means the trophy is anyone’s for the taking. We take a look at how the remaining competitors should fare in our WTA Strasbourg quarterfinal predictions.
WTA Strasbourg Quarterfinal Predictions
Magda Linette vs Yulia Putintseva
Head-to-head: 3 – 1 Linette
Magda Linette owns this matchup with a 3-1 lead. However, all those matches were played in 2018 or earlier so they hold little sway now. Linette traditionally struggles on clay, with her flat groundstrokes more suited to hard courts than the red dirt. That being said, she has looked good so far in Strasbourg and is yet to drop a set on the week. In Yulia Putintseva she faces her toughest opponent of the week so far and will need to be at her best to advance.
The diminutive Kazakh is perhaps the most spirited competitor on the women’s tour and rarely throws in the towel regardless of form. She hasn’t had a great run on the clay so far in 2021 but has a real chance to turn that around with a good run here. She will also be very fresh after her last opponent retired only a couple of games into their match. Given Linette’s relatively tame record on clay and the fact that Putintseva is too good not to make a decent run at some stage, I’m going to give the edge to the Kazakh here.
Prediction: Putintseva in 2
Barbora Krejcikova vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Head-to-head: 3 – 0 Alexandrova
Another one-sided matchup in the quarterfinals of Strasbourg features Ekaterina Alexandrova and Barbora Krejcikova. The Russian is yet to lose to Krejcikova, with her most recent win coming at this years Australian Open. However, the pair have only met once once on clay and that was in 2017. Alexandrova hits a hard and flat ball and can sometimes struggle on red dirt as a result. She has picked up decent results so far on clay this year, but is definitely more comfortable on hard courts.
By contrast, Krejcikova’s ascendency in the singles game is a direct result of her scintillating run at Roland Garros last year. The Czech is a brilliant mover and possess great variety of shot which is a real weapon on this surface. She has perhaps struggled to maintain the level she played at towards the end of 2020, but is still a real threat on her day. Alexandrova is very hard to beat when she finds her mark, but I think the variety of Krejcikova will upset her rhythm a little too much for the Russian to be able to do that. Take Krejcikova to advance here.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
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