It’s time for the semifinal stage in Rabat as the WTA 250 tournament is heading towards the Saturday finish. Sloane Stephens is the most established player left, but she had to save three match points against Peyton Stearns in the quarterfinals. Julia Riera has been one of the stories of the week, making it this far in her WTA Tour debut. Who do you think will make the final?
WTA Rabat Semifinal Predictions
Julia Grabher vs Julia Riera
Head-to-head: First meeting
What a WTA Tour debut this has been for Julia Riera, who’s been rising quickly this year thanks to her excellent ITF results. In April, she won back-to-back titles in Guayaquil, beating the likes of Francesca Jones or Solana Sierra. Will Julia Grabher be a step too far? It kind of seems like it. Even though the Austrian has a negative win/loss record for the year, that’s mostly due to her hard court results being a little subpar and the standard of competition she’s been facing. However, she recently made the third round in Rome with a standout win over Jil Teichmann. She’s not exactly a veteran at these stages of WTA events, but she’s certainly got more experience than the debutant Riera with a quarterfinal in Istanbul last year.
Prediction: Grabher in 2
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Lucia Bronzetti vs Sloane Stephens
Head-to-head: First meeting
Sloane Stephens survived a crazy match against last year’s NCAA champion Peyton Stearns in the quarterfinals, saving three consecutive match points in the deciding set tie-break. The opposition left in the event kind of makes you think that the American could end up taking the title, although the 2018 French Open finalist has obviously struggled for consistency over the past few years. She recently picked up a WTA 125K title at Saint-Malo though and has plenty of momentum going for her. Lucia Bronzetti is playing well at the moment too, but the 24-year-old doesn’t quite have the same upside as Stephens can on a good day. Should be more on the American’s racket.
Prediction: Stephens in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
