The final four is set in Adelaide, with three of those four players being American. Madison Keys and Coco Gauff square off in one of our two semifinals and the winner of that match becomes the automatic favourite to win the title. However, Alison Riske or Tamara Zidansek will have something to say about that in the final. Which two of the four will get the chance to play for their first trophy of 2022? We discuss exactly that in our WTA Adelaide semifinal predictions.
WTA Adelaide 2 Semifinal Predictions
Alison Riske vs Tamara Zidansek
Head-to-head: First meeting
Zidansek appears to have carried her momentum from 2021 into this year pretty effortlessly. She lost to Maria Sakkari in her first match last week but has since found her best tennis and looks to be the favourite to make the final in this match. However, one thing you should never do is count out someone with as much fight as Riske has. The American has proven time and time again that heart and determination can take you a mighty long way. She is proving exactly that again here, making the semifinals here despite a disappointing first round exit in Melbourne 1 last week. The American has struggled with consistency the past two years, but there were signs towards the back end of 2021 that she was starting to find her best tennis again.
That level of play was enough to see Riske inside the top 20 in the world at the end of 2019. If she can reach that level again, there is no reason she can kickstart her year with a finals appearance here in Adelaide. Zidansek has the greater weapon in her lethal forehand. However, Riske is a better mover and doesn’t mind defending and extending rallies. If the American can be aggressive when she needs to be she should draw enough errors to win this. I expect it to be tight, but I think Riske gives us an all American final in Adelaide.
Prediction: Riske in 3
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Coco Gauff vs Madison Keys
Head-to-head: First meeting
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Madison Keys will win this tournament. I know that’s a risk given her history of inconsistency and the quality of opponent she faces in Gauff. However, I haven’t seen Keys serving this well or hitting the ball this cleanly in a very long time. She’s hit 27 aces across her last three matches and has won aver 70% of her first serve points while making around 65% of her first serves. Numbers like that make her very hard to beat. She has had her serve broken just once so far this tournament. If she can continue serving in that manner it will be very difficult for Gauff to put her under any kind of pressure.
That’s not to say Gauff isn’t in with a shout here because she is. You don’t get to #19 in the world without being a favourite to win most matches you play. However, Keys at her best is a top 10 talent who can hit anyone on the tour off the court on her day. We haven’t seen that level from her in a good long while, but we’re seeing it here in Adelaide. This match is hers to lose, but I’m expecting the red-hot form to bring about two more wins here in Adelaide and a sixth WTA title to boot.
Prediction: Keys in 3
