Home advantage has favored the Brits at the WTA Rothesay Open with four home players making it to the last eight – the first time it’s happened in Nottingham. It has also been a great tournament for the underdogs. Among the eight quarterfinalists, three are qualifiers, four players unseeded, and one wild card. On that note, who do you think will reach the semifinal?
WTA Nottingham Quarterfinal Predictions
Heather Watson vs Viktorija Golubic
Head-to-head: Watson 1-1 Golubic
A sneak peek at the rankings could suggest this is a humdrum matchup in a quarterfinal of a Tour-level tournament. Golubic is ranked 150th in the world, slightly higher than Watson who sits at #195. But these two players are the ultimate show-ponies this week. Golubic, a semifinalist here last season, is looking to emulate that run again. She has beaten fellow Swiss Jil Teichmann and top-30 player Donna Vekic without dropping a set. She has dazzled with her court craft and sharp one-hander.
Watson, for her part, has been equally impressive, racking up four straight wins from qualifying and notching her best win this season in her 6-4 6-4 win over 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria. The head-to-head is tied at 1-1, and incidentally, this will be their third successive meeting on grass. Golubic defeated Watson handily at this tournament last year en route to the semis. The Briton will look to outmuscle Golubic from the baseline by finishing off any short balls. Tactically, Golubic’s whip-smart attack could be a pain for Watson again.
Prediction: Golubic in 3
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Jodie Burrage vs Magdalena Frech
Head-to-head: Frech 1-0 Burrage
Burrage and Frech have previously played on grass with the Pole winning a qualifying match in Surbiton six years ago. However, that shouldn’t have a bearing on the outcome of this match. Burrage is playing her first quarterfinal match on Tour. She sacrificed the French Open qualifying in order to recover fully from a wrist injury. She has been handsomely rewarded with two massive wins over Tereza Marincova (which took three hours) and third seed Magda Linette.
Frech weathered the storm in her opener against Sonay Kartal but had a more comfortable afternoon against Zhu Lin. Both players were too error-prone in their opening matches but improved considerably in the round of 16. Burrage will take some beating after such a good performance on Thursday and could even be the favorite here.
Prediction: Burrage in 2
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Katie Boulter vs Harriet Dart
Head-to-head: Boulter 3-1 Dart
Boulter has risen to become the new British No.1 but the race to retain her spot is hotting up. Having usurped Emma Raducanu, Boulter has Dart breathing down her neck. And this quarterfinal clash could be pivotal in that regard. The Leicester native has a more ostentatious resume than Dart even though neither player has won a WTA title. However, Dart has a knack for rising to the occasion (her CV is filled with multiple top-20 wins) and this could be her moment to shine. Either way, there’ll be a British semifinalist come Friday evening, which is a win-win for the home fans.
Prediction: Dart in 3
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Alize Cornet vs Elizabeth Mandlik
Head-to-head: first meeting
With the other three quarterfinals featuring at least one British player, this one will have neutral fan support. Alize Cornet is the oldest stateswoman in the draw and she hasn’t missed a beat on grass. Cornet has used her expertise on the surface and all-conquering counterpunching game to smother her opponents including the top seed Maria Sakkari. Is a first WTA title since 2018 on the cards for the wily French veteran?
Elizabeth Mandlik could be a roadblock in Cornet’s quest to end her title drought. The American loves the underdog tag. She upset Camila Giorgi in the last round and arrives with real momentum. Fatigue could be a factor here. Mandlik will play her sixth match in eight days (including three successive three-setters). And hitting through Cornet from the baseline is a real challenge even at this late stage in her career.
Prediction: Cornet in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
