The upsets are coming thick and fast at the WTA Budapest Grand Prix. Will Thursday follow suit as a handful of seeds face some testing encounters? As always we here at LWOT have every match covered in our daily predictions. Who will reach the quarterfinals?
WTA Budapest Day 4 Predictions
Aleksandra Krunic vs Zhang Shuai
Head-to-head: Zhang 2-0 Krunic
Zhang Shuai finished runner-up (alongside Elise Mertens) in the Wimbledon doubles final last weekend. But the 33-year-old is in no mood of taking a vacation. She is the standard bearer of Chinese tennis right now. If she continues to play tennis as effortlessly as she did in the first half of the season, she may not need to pause in between tournaments. However, clay is not Zhang’s best surface and there were a few jittery moments in that opening set against Ekaterine Gorgodze. Krunic has so much talent and surface advantage to make her pay a hefty price.
Prediction: Krunic in 3
Ana Bogdan vs Xiyu Wang
Head-to-head: Wang 1-0 Bogdan
Xiyu Wang’s 6-1 7-6 victory over top seed Barbora Krejcikova has sent shockwaves across the draw in Budapest. But in fairness, it had been coming. Wang had amassed 20 wins on clay before she sent the Czech packing. And considering Krejcikova’s recent success in doubles at Wimbledon, it was a major surprise she found a slot in her schedule to play this week. Nonetheless, I expect the Chinese lefty to reproduce a performance equally as brilliant as she did in her opening round.
Prediction: Wang in 2
Yulia Putintseva vs Laura Pigossi
Head-to-head: first meeting
Pigossi is ranked 125th in the world and only got in the main draw as a lucky loser. But she defeated former top 50 player Rebecca Peterson in her first round in straight sets. We cannot rule out a potential upset in her next test against the defending champion Yulia Putintseva. The Brazilian was in a similar position three months ago when she knocked out reigning Bogota champion Camila Osorio before advancing into her first WTA final. But I suspect Thursday’s clash will be a mountain to climb against a more accomplished opponent.
Prediction: Putintseva in 2
Katerina Siniakova vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Head-to-head: first meeting
Siniakova drew one of the toughest first-rounders in Anhelina Kalinina. And with a post-Wimbledon hangover still fresh, the Czech had no business getting to this stage. But despite being at a greater disadvantage, luck was on her side, as her opponent retired due to injury. A fully fit and charged up Cocciaretto will make her difficult in the second round. The young Italian boasts a very solid baseline game and has piled up 25 wins on clay across all levels. If Cocciaretto is not overwhelmed by Siniakova’s uncanny brand of tennis, she has a very good chance of knocking out the other half of the Wimbledon doubles champion.
Prediction: Cocciaretto in 3
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