The 33rd WTA Palermo Ladies Open is nearing its business end with just the final four players left in the draw. Home representation in the final is guaranteed with Jasmine Paolini and Lucia Bronzetti through to the semifinals and sure to get the crowd going into the finals weekend, whilst Sara Sorribes Tormo vs Irina-Camelia Begu promises to be an entertaining match. As always we here at LWOT will preview and predict every match, but who do you think will reach the final?
WTA Palermo Semifinals Predictions
Jasmine Paolini vs Lucia Bronzetti
Head-to-head: first meeting
The first meeting between these two Italians with one of them sure to represent the nation in the final. Paolini is through to her first clay semifinal in more than a year, struggling somewhat this season with a 13-15 record. The Italian got an easy win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova to start before receiving a walkover from Zhang Shuai. Paolini did well in her quarterfinal test though, coming back from a set down to defeat Nuria Parrizas-Diaz.
Bronzetti is through to her second semifinal of the season after Rabat. The 23-year-old eased through the first two rounds here in Palermo, dropping just ten games in wins over Xiyu Wang and Elina Avanesyan, before a bigger challenge from fifth seed Caroline Garcia. The Frenchwoman went a set up and was close to sealing the win in a tight second set though a foot injury hampered her. Bronzetti held her nerve in the second and was the fitter player in the decider, now looking to reach her first main tour final. Expect it to be Paolini who comes out the victor, however. Her experience is likely to be the difference.
Prediction: Paolini in 2
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Sara Sorribes Tormo vs Irina-Camelia Begu
Head-to-head: Begu 1-0 Sorribes Tormo
Despite having a solid couple of seasons, this is Sorribes Tormo’s first semifinal in 11 months. Since the last time the Spaniard reached the final four in Cleveland last August, she has reached five WTA quarterfinals, including at the Madrid 1000. Sorribes Tormo did begin her Palermo campaign by losing the first set 6-2 against Ana Bogdan but has essentially dominated since. The 25-year-old came back to defeat the Romanian 6-2 in the third, allowed Leolia Jeanjean just two games in the second round, and beat Anna Bondar 6-2 6-3 in her last match.
Begu, coming off career-best runs at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, is through to her second semifinal of the season. The Romanian’s run has been more difficult, dropping sets to Marina Bassols Ribera and Oceane Dodin in the first two runs, but Begu allowed Diane Parry just four games in the quarterfinals. The 31-year-old came out on top in her only previous meeting with Sorribes Tormo shortly after the 2020 restart in Prague, winning 6-2 in the third. Begu definitely has enough to win this match and reach her first clay WTA final in five years but it’s hard to pick against Sorribes Tormo here in her current form. This match-up is very close to being a coin flip though.
Prediction: Sorribes Tormo in 3
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