We are into the round of 16 at the WTA Adelaide International as the new season kicks off in Australia. As always, this Australian Open lead-up field is filled with the world’s best look to gain form ahead of the year’s first major and we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for all four matches on the slate. But who will come out on top?
WTA Adelaide Day 4 Predictions
Aryna Sabalenka vs Luidmila Samsonova
Head-to-head: Samsonova 1-0 Sabalenka
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka is set to square off against world #20 Luidmila Samsonova at the WTA Adelaide Internaional. Samsonova won their only previous meeting, 6-4 2-6 6-2, last year in Guadalajara. Samsonova has already played a match this week, coming back from a set down to defeat Shuai Zhang 5-7 6-3 6-0. She pounded 17 aces in the victory, an area of the game she has a clear advantage over Sabalenka. This will be a fun match as both players enjoy ripping groundstrokes from the baseline. Although Sabalenka did end the 2022 season in impressive form, it is still hard to trust her after a two-month layoff.
Prediction: Samsonova in 3
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Elena Rybakina vs Marta Kostyuk
Head-to-Head: first meeting
2022 Wimbledon Champion Elena Rybakina is set to meet Marta Kostyuk for the first time with a spot in the Adelaide quarterfinals on the line. Both players were pushed to a third set in their first-round victories. The 20-year-old Kostyuk had an up-and-down 2022 season but is very comfortable on the hard courts. However, so is Rybakina, who won 60 percent of her matches on the surface last season. Rybakina is defending a 2022 runner-up finish in Adelaide. Expect her to come out swinging, which should allow her to overpower the Ukrainian.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
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Kaia Kanepi vs Marketa Vondrousova
Head-to-head: Vondrousova 1-0 Kanepi
Veteran Kai Kanepi is looking to have another fruitful season on the WTA Tour. The 37-year-old is coming off of a 2022 campaign where she won 60 percent of her matches and made three semifinal appearances. Her second-round opponent in Adelaide, Market Vondrousova, is just 23 years old. That said, the Czechian was ranked as high as No. 14 in the World back in 2019. She won her only meeting with Kanepi, 4-6 6-3 6-0, at Roland Garros in 2021. Vondrousova showed tremendous ball striking in her opening-round upset over Ekaterina Alexandrova. She should have no trouble besting Kanepi if she can maintain this consistency.
Prediction: Vondrousova in 2
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Veronika Kudermetova vs Bianca Andreescu
Head-to-head: first meeting
On paper, the best match of the day at the WTA Adelaide International will take place between fourth seed Veronika Kudermetova and Bianca Andreescu. This will be the first meeting between the two. Both players had impressive first-round victories: Kudermetova beat Amanda Anisimova 6-3 6-0, and Andreescu came from a bagel-set down to beat Garbine Muguruza 0-6 7-6 6-1. Andreescu is still looking to recapture her Grand Slam winning form and will have to bring her A-game to beat the current world #9. Expect Kudermetova’s consistency and power will bother Andreescu and be the ultimate decider in what otherwise should be a tight match.
Prediction: Kudermetova in 3
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