Second round action continues on Sunday, Day 4 at the 2022 WTA Mutua Madrid Open. Play is heating up at the fourth WTA 1000 level event of the season. Iga Swiatek swept the first three, but her absence in Madrid means it’s time for a new champion to be crowned. Maria Sakkari and Naomi Osaka are among the big names with title aspirations in action on Day 4. Osaka faces a serious challenge against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo, an opponent she has struggled with in the past. Who will secure a spot in the third round?
WTA Madrid Day 4 Predictions
Leylah Fernandez vs Jil Teichmann
H2H: Teichmann 1-0.
Jil Teichmann made a good start in Madrid with a 6-3 7-5 win over three-time former champion Petra Kvitova. A notable win for the Swiss player given Kvitova is the most successful player in the history of this tournament on the women’s side. Leylah Fernandez wasn’t too convincing in a 6-1 1-6 6-4 opening round win over Andrea Petkovic, but a win is a win. The Canadian will need to step up her level if she is too advance any further though, Teichmann is a tricky opponent.
Teichmann defeated Fernandez 7-6 6-4 during a Billie Jean King Cup tie in 2020 in the only previous meeting between the pair. I suspect Teichmann will once again get the job done in this matchup. Fernandez has generally struggled this year and isn’t known for her clay court tennis. Teichmann has a far greater history on the red dirt, her consistency and versatility will be tough for this version of Fernandez to handle.
Prediction: Teichmann in 3
Elena Rybakina vs Katerina Siniakova
H2H: Rybakina 3-2.
Elena Rybakina and Katerina Siniakova each overcame dangerous, attacking opponents in the opening round. Rybakina defeated Oceane Dodin 6-2 7-5, whilst Siniakova came from behind to beat Ana Konjuh 0-6 6-4 6-2.
This will be the sixth career meeting between the pair. Rybakina has won three of their four completed matches, including a 6-3 6-3 victory in Dubai in 2020 in their most recent clash. She is a deserved favorite heading into their Madrid showdown. Rybakina clearly has the game to control this matchup, However, the Kazakh can be a little hit-or-miss and isn’t necessarily the best mover on clay, I’ll still give her the benefit of the doubt in this spot.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3.
Maria Sakkari vs Daria Kasatkina
Maria Sakkari was forced to work extremely hard for a 6-7 6-3 6-4 first round win over Madison Keys. The fourth seed faces another tough opponent in the second round when she faces Daria Kasatkina. Kasatkina also fought from a set down in her Madrid opener as she defeated Anna Bondar 4-6 6-4 6-3. Kasatkina has dominated Sakkari in the past having won all three of their previous encounters. However, those matches were a while ago, their most recent clash was in Montreal in 2018, Kasatkina won 6-4 4-6 6-1.
Sakkari has improved significantly since the last meeting between the pair and will surely be keen avoid a fourth consecutive loss to Kasatkina. In theory, this shouldn’t be a bad matchup for Sakkari, she can match Kasatkina’s athleticism whilst possessing far stronger weaponry. I like a determined Sakkari to fight her way through this tough matchup.
Prediction: Sakkari in 3
Naomi Osaka vs Sara Sorribes Tormo
H2H: Osaka 2-1.
Naomi Osaka made a commanding start in Madrid by snapping Anastasia Potapova’s nine-match winning streak, 6-3 6-1. The Japanese star faces a very different threat in the second round against Sara Sorribes Tormo, who has troubled Osaka in the past. Sorribes Tormo secured her spot in the second round in Madrid with a 6-3 2-6 6-3 win over 13th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Sorribes Tormo humiliated Osaka in their most recent clash, a 6-0 6-3 win for Sorribes Tormo in a Billie Jean King Cup tie on clay at the start of the 2020 season. That was one of the worst losses of Osaka’s career, and it wasn’t the only time the Spaniard has troubled Osaka. Sorribes Tormo also took a set off Osaka in Madrid in 2019, a 7-6 3-6 6-0 win for Osaka. Clearly, Sorribes Tormo has a game that frustrates Osaka, especially on a clay court. This is a big test for Osaka, who has infamously struggled on the red dirt. I like the upset here, Osaka still seems fragile, Sorribes Tormo has the game to expose those fragilities in these conditions.
Prediction: Sorribes Tormo in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
