Four of the eight second-round matches are going to be played out on Day 3 of the 2023 WTA Copa Calsanitas in Bogota. Both finalists from last year, Tatjana Maria and Laura Pigossi, will be in action. Who do you think will advance to the quarterfinals?
WTA Bogota Day 3 Predictions
Carol Zhao vs Francesca Jones
Head-to-head: First meeting
Francesca Jones has spent the last month or so in Colombia and she should be very used to the conditions by now. It might enough of an edge to help her battle Carol Zhao, who arrived in this event on a four-match losing streak and had to really fight for her opening-round win over Maria Lourdes Carle, just barely coming out on top in a deciding set tie-break.
Prediction: Jones in 3
Carolina Alves vs Tatjana Maria
Head-to-head: First meeting
Tatjana Maria was the surprise champion at Bogota last year and will be hoping for another run like that in this year’s edition. While her slice-and-dice game usually doesn’t work that well on clay, controlling the ball in the Bogota conditions is so tough and it makes her even more unpleasant to face. You need a certain degree of tennis IQ to kick her out and Carolina Alves might struggle to find it.
Prediction: Maria in 2
Laura Pigossi vs Nina Stevanovic
Head-to-head: First meeting
Altitude clay conditions can be extremely tough to handle, but Nina Stevanovic should have a good hang of them after three matches in Bogota already. However, Laura Pigossi was the runner-up in this event last year and is coming off a quarterfinal appearance in San Luis Potosi. The Brazilian dropped just one game in her opening round and while it won’t be quite this easy, she should add another win to her Bogota record.
Prediction: Pigossi in 2
Kamilla Rakhimova vs Eugenie Bouchard
Head-to-head: First meeting
Eugenie Bouchard has just kicked off another attempt to comeback to the top echelon of the game, will this one turn out to be more successful? She looked decent in the opening round, but she’s facing a very good altitude player in Kamilla Rakhimova. While the Russian’s recent results in such conditions have come on hard courts, they still make her a safer bet than Bouchard in this one.
Prediction: Rakhimova in 3
Main Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
