Day 6 at the 2022 WTA Bad Homburg Open will see the two singles semifinal matches contested on Friday. An interesting semifinal lineup features a clash between two Grand Slam champions, as well as an all-French affair. Defending champion Angelique Kerber, who won the inaugural edition of the WTA 250 event last year, fell in the quarterfinals.
WTA Bad Homburg Semifinal Predictions
Bianca Andreescu vs Simona Halep
Head-to-head: 1-0 Halep
Bianca Andreescu has stormed through to the last four in Bad Homburg without dropping a set. The World No. 64 did not lose more than four games in a set in her convincing victories over Martina Trevisan, Katie Swan and World No. 13 Daria Kasatkina. This is the first event where the 22-year-old Canadian has won back-to-back matches on grass at tour level. Andreescu was edged by Karolina Pliskova in a third set tiebreak in the second round in Berlin last week.
Simona Halep has lost just one set in her three wins en route to the semifinals–in her opening round triumph over Katerina Siniakova. The World No. 19 then crushed Tamara Zidansek 6-0 6-3 in the second round before a very impressive 6-2 6-1 hammering of World No. 25 Amanda Anisimova. The 30-year-old Romanian also reached the last four in Birmingham last week, where she was stopped in three sets by eventual winner Beatriz Haddad Maia.
In the pair’s only previous encounter, Halep saved a match point to win a three-set round robin clash at the 2019 WTA Finals. This promises to be another exciting battle between the two Major champions, both of whom have shown great form this week – particularly in their quarterfinal victories. Andreescu’s variety and power make her very dangerous when confident, but 2019 Wimbledon winner Halep’s consistency and greater grass court pedigree could just give her the edge.
Prediction: Halep in 3
Alize Cornet vs Caroline Garcia
Head-to-head: 2-2
Alize Cornet has progressed to the last four of the WTA 250 event after losing a single set in her three matches. The World No. 44 saw off Anna Kalinskaya and Tatjana Maria in straight sets before upsetting defending champion and home favorite Angelique Kerber 6-4 2-6 6-1 in the quarterfinals. The 32-year-old Frenchwoman fell in straight sets in the first round in Berlin last week to Kalinskaya.
Caroline Garcia has also dropped just one set in reaching the semifinals in Bad Homburg. The World No. 75 came from a set down to beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the opening round before earning straight-set victories over Kamilla Rakhimova and wild card Sabine Lisicki. The 28-year-old saved two set points in the second set against former Wimbledon runner-up Lisicki. The Frenchwoman was defeated in straight sets in the second round in Birmingham last week.
The French duo have split their four previous matches, though the most recent was in 2018 and none came on grass. Both have had some success on grass, with Garcia winning two titles on the surface, and Cornet having famously upset Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2014. Garcia’s aggressive style–and higher overall ceiling as a former World No. 4–are in her favor, but her current ranking shows she has been far from those heights recently. Cornet’s impressive victory over former Wimbledon champion Kerber, a fine grass court player, could give her the belief to make her first grass court final.
Prediction: Cornet 3
