While most attention may be paid to the exciting release of the Wimbledon draw, Friday contains some great semifinal action in Eastbourne. Only one seed remains in the tournament, yet all four players are experienced and have experience playing in late tournament matches.
WTA Eastbourne Semifinal Predictions
Camila Giorgi vs Daria Kasatkina
Head-to-head: Kasatkina 2-0
Both players won their respective quarterfinals by retirement, with the results more out of caution rather than being due to a severe injury. Kasatkina was playing great prior to Garcia’s withdrawal, executing the drop shot and proficiently placing her first serve. Meanwhile, Giorgi weathered the storm in a seemingly decisive first set. Ostapenko served for the set multiple times, yet Giorgi’s power game pushed Ostapenko deep in the court, forcing unforced errors in a match-clinching first-set tiebreak. The more matches Giorgi tends to play, it allows her to get in a rhythm with her groundstrokes regardless of the opponent. With that, such is not a great matchup for Kasatkina due to her lack of power. Giorgi should win as long as she stays mentally tough, but Kasatkina can definitely make this a match by running Giorgi constantly around the court to force mistakes.
Prediction: Giorgi in 3
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Madison Keys vs Coco Gauff
Head-to-head: Gauff 2-1
An exciting all-American matchup is on the cards, with Gauff and Keys in great form before the year’s third Grand Slam. Gauff easily dispatched Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-3 to clinch a Top 10 win, something she’s struggled to do in her career. Her forehand was solid, a shot that didn’t relent under pressure in the second set. Keys has looked great as well, dropping only five games against Petra Martic. Keys has noticeably dropped the unforced errors this week, and is using her offensive weapons to the fullest. Ultimately, the winner of this match will be the one that can simply stay grounded and solid; most likely, Gauff’s consistent ground strokes will make it tough for Keys to find her rhythm. This match should go three sets, with Gauff’s desire and will on the court to push her through.
Prediction: Gauff in 3
