In the small town of Gaiba in the Italian region of Veneto, a WTA 125 grass-court tournament is being held. Though it’s in an isolated setting, the draw is far from subdued sporting a draw including seven top-100 players looking for a decent warm-up before Wimbledon. With the quarterfinals due to get underway on Friday, we attempt to predict who will make their way to the semifinals.
WTA Veneto Open Day 5 Matches
Alison Van Uytvanck vs Ylena In-Albon
Head-to-head: First meeting
This one will likely boil down to experience. Swiss star Ylena In-Albon hits a decent ball but like so many modern up-and-comers relies on a ton of spin and weight to generate her pace. She doesn’t possess the sort of game that excels on grass and she comes into this match with just three matches played on the surface throughout her career.
Alison Van Uytvanck is far more equipped to serve and flatten her groundstrokes out to play well on grass. She’s just coming off a title in Surbiton, the start of an impressive 9-1 record this year on grass. AVU will have plenty of options compared to the 23-year-old.
Prediction: Van Uytvanck in 2
Harmony Tan vs Ana Bogdan
Head-to-head: First meeting
Harmony Tan is looking to give herself the best preparation going into Wimbledon qualifying for the second time in her career – she’s doing well already in Gaiba with a strong returning performance against Lucia Bronzetti. Though she’s not had a ton of experience on this surface, she has a tricksy enough backhand to excel on this surface if she’s playing well.
Ana Bogdan has been up and down in recent years but seems to be finding her feet again at the lower levels. Her draw was pretty cruel but she coped with it well beating Arantxa Rus and Linda Fruhvirtova back-to-back. Tan will capitalise on dips in consistency from Bogdan but the bigger ball-striker should be the one to emerge victorious in the end.
Prediction: Bogdan in 3
Kateryna Baindl vs Sara Erranii
Head-to-head: First meeting
There’s a case to be made that Kateryna Baindl should be higher-ranked than #159. She showed the world her power in defeating defending French Open champ Jelena Ostapenko in 2018 but she hasn’t really done anything as noteworthy since then. Her best point of reference for inspiration for this match will be her wins against Gasanova and Brengle at last year’s Nottingham Open followed by a close loss to Konta. She can strike the ball well on her day, she can play well on this surface – she’s just been so up and down lately, it’s tough to see her staying level for the entirety of the match.
Sara Errani‘s participation at the tournament seems surprising at first glance. Her home town is only an hour’s drive from Gaiba which might explain it as, with a notoriously poor serve and poor form to boot, grass is far from the surface she’d like to be playing on at the moment. We’re going to back Baindl to seize the opportunity over the course of three sets.
Prediction: Baindl in 3
Diane Parry vs Tatjana Maria
Head-to-head: First meeting
Even against some of the best players in the world, Tatjana Maria can wreak havoc on her opponent’s game. Though she lost, she showed exceptional resilience in keeping Maria Sakkari at bay at the Australian Open. She also went on a dream run in Bogota, her slice perfect for controlling the ball at altitude. Maria is a nightmare for those lacking the rally temperament to hang with her and continues to surprise players at the age of 34.
Diane Parry showed her prodigious skills clay at the French Open. She is almost certainly going to be a force on that surface for years to come – having notched two wins in this draw already, it’s not a stretch to say her talent is likely going to be felt everywhere. Parry will be well-equipped at countering Maria’s low-sitting ball with her own one-hander and we believe she’ll have the point construction to build the difficult points necessary to defeat Maria. It’s not going to be easy but we’re backing Parry.
Prediction: Parry in 3
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