The Easbourne quarterfinal draw is set in typical WTA fashion with just one Top 8 seed reaching this point. Two surprises, lucky loser Viktoriya Tomova and qualifier Lesia Tsurenko have both maximized their chances to make surprise runs. Beartiz Haddad Maia is undefeated on grass this year and will try to continue to win her third straight title. Two dangerous, yet inconsistent players, Jelena Ostapenko and Camila Giorgi, are both in action and almost always will provide thrilling tennis. Petra Kvitova is a former Wimbledon champion struggling in form, and will have the tough task of taking on the one remaining British player Harriet Dart. All four of the matches are analyzed and predicted below!
WTA Eastbourne Quarterfinal Predictions
Camila Giorgi vs Viktoriya Tomova
Head-to-head: first meeting
Tomova has made the most of her opportunity in her first grass court event of the year. She lost in qualifying but made it in as a Lucky Loser where she has won both her matches after losing the first set to reach the quarterfinals. Giorgi is a powerful, talented player who can often be plagued with inconsistency. She has done well on grass with a 5-2 record so far, after a poor start to the season.
Tomova has grinded through two tough matches in addition to qualifying so her legs will certainly be tested. Giorgi will be a tough matchup for that, with her power tough to defend on a surface she has historically had great results on. Giorgi will be too much for Tomova to handle and will benefit from her power and experience to reach the semis.
Prediction: Giorgi in 2
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Lesia Tsurenko
Head-to-head: 1-0 Haddad Maia
Haddad Maia has had an excellent year, sitting inside the top-30 and capturing consecutive grass court titles in Birmingham and Nottingham. Tsurenko has been strong on grass, though she has generally faced weaker competition. She scored a big win over Elena Rybakina in the second round, fighting through a close three-set match. She is playing a third consecutive day after back-to-back matches of over two hours each.
Haddad Maia is 12-0 on grass this year including wins over Maria Sakkari, Peetra Kvitova, and Simona Halep. Fatigue is a concern, but the Birmingham final last week was cut short due to retirement, and she won her second-round match in dominating fashion in just over an hour. There is no reason to pick against Haddad Maia in her current form, and she will continue her impressive run.
Prediction: Haddad Maia in 2
Jelena Ostapenko vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head-to-head: 1-0 Ostapenko
Ostapenko is back in the top-20 and looks to be back to the dangerous player that she was when she won the 2017 French Open. Kalinina had mixed results on grass but beat seeds Sakkari and Putintseva in consecutive matches this week. Though Ostapenko’s career-best title was on clay, her best record has come on grass over the course of her career.
Kalinina has had limited experience on grass with moderate results. Kalinina looks to be comfortable and dangerous on the surface, but she will have to serve well to combat Ostapenko’s strong baseline tennis. She has not served well here, getting broken nine times in her last two matches, though her return was strong enough to win both. Ostapenko will control the rallies in a matchup of similar skillsets, and she will use her comfort on grass to win the big points to reach the semis.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 3
Petra Kvitova vs Harriet Dart
Head-to-head: first meeting
Former Wimbledon champ Kvitova is looking to bounce back on her best surface after a poor start to 2022. She is just 10-13 on the year, but has looked strong in both her matches here, winning 21 of her 23 service games. Dart has played well on grass, reaching the Nottingham quarterfinal before a good week this week. She unfortunately had her second-round match suspended due to rain, so she has spent a lot of time on court of late.
Dart looks in good form, but has not been great on grass in the past. She certainly has a good chance to pull off the upset by taking advantage of a struggling Kvitova. However, Dart’s time on court with the delayed match and playing nine sets in three matches will catch up to her. Kvitova will rely on her serve to put Dart under pressure, and she will be able to control the rallies and hit through Dart to win a close match.
Prediction: Kvitova in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
