It’s been a week of upsets so far at the WTA Madrid Open, which leaves the draw wide open heading into the quarterfinals. All eight players will surely believe they have a chance of going all the way in the Spanish capital and all eight probably do. But who will book their place in the semifinals?
WTA Madrid Quarterfinal Predictions
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Amanda Anisimova
Head-to-head: Anisimova 1-0 Alexandrova
When this pair first met, in 2020 in Doha, Amanda Anisimova’s rise to the top of the game seemed to be assured, even after a difficult end to 2019. It hasn’t quite worked out that way for the American, but time is still very much on her side at just 20 years of age and she has delivered a timely reminder of her quality this week. She started her campaign with an excellent 6-2 3-6 6-4 win over Aryna Sabalenka and backed that up by beating Petra Martic, 3-6 6-2 6-2.
Anisimova then delivered her best performance of the week so far to beat 15th seed Victoria Azarenka 6-1 6-4. She may have to maintain that level to get past Ekaterina Alexandrova, however. The Russian, who started her tournament in the qualifying, is having a fine week in her own right and has dropped just one set so far. Still, if this comes down to a baseline battle (as it almost certainly will), Anisimova must be accounted the favourite.
Prediction: Anisimova in 3
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Ons Jabeur vs Simona Halep
Head-to-head: Halep 2-1 Jabeur
This promises to be an excellent match. 2021 was a difficult year for Simona Halep, but the Romanian has looked renewed in recent weeks, with the early stages of her partnership with Patrick Mouratoglou very promising. She has not a put foot wrong so far in Madrid, where she won back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017, having dismissed Zhang Shuai, second seed Paula Badosa and 14th seed Coco Gauff all without losing a set. Or really looking like losing a set.
But she may have to work harder to get the better of Jabeur. The Tunisian’s combination of power and guile make her well-suited to clay-court tennis and she has looked sharp so far this week, scoring wins over Jasmine Paolini, Varvara Gracheva and Belinda Bencic. But she has not played well enough in those three matches to suggest that she can beat Halep, unless the Romanian’s level drops. Expect Halep to book her place in the last four.
Prediction: Halep in 2
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Jil Teichmann vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head-to-head: Teichmann 1-1 Kalinina
Jil Teichmann is another player having a very fine week in Madrid. The Swiss opened her account in the Spanish capital with a 6-3 7-5 win over Petra Kvitova and that has rather set the tone. She has added victories Leylah Fernandez and Elena Rybakina, dropping just four games in her 6-1 6-3 win over the Kazakh. However, she may not have fond memories of her last meeting with Anhelina Kalinina. The Ukrainian beat her 6-1 6-4 in Bastad in 2019.
Kalinina has also impressed so far at the WTA Madrid Open, beating Sloane Stephens, 6-5 6-4, Garbine Muguruza, 6-0 6-3, and Emma Raducanu, 6-2 2-6 6-4, to reach her second quarterfinal of the season. It does not look like there is a great deal between this pair, despite the one-sided nature of their most recent meeting, but Teichmann can generate that much more power on her groundstrokes and also looks more at home in the conditions in Madrid. She should have just about to get past Kalinina.
Prediction: Teichmann in 3
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Sara Sorribes Tormo vs Jessica Pegula
Head-to-head: Sorribes Tormo 2-0 Pegula
Considering the strength in depth in Spanish tennis, Sara Sorribes Tormo may not have expected to be the last Spaniard standing, but she has certainly earned her place in the quarterfinals and looks to have a real chance of reaching the last four. She had to work hard for her wins over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Daria Kasatkina in the last 16, either side of a comfortable win over Naomi Osaka in the second round, with her reward a winnable match against Jessica Pegula.
The American has also played some good tennis so far at the WTA Madrid Open, beating Camila Giorgi, Kaia Kanepi and Bianca Andreescu to reach the last eight, but clay is not her favourite surface. She has also lost both of her previous matches against Sorribes Tormo. Admittedly, they have not met since 2019, but if Pegula has improved in the interim, so too has Sorribes Tormo. On home turf, expect Sorribes Tormo to make it three wins from three against Pegula.
Prediction: Sorribes Tormo in 3
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