The WTA Washington Open has produced tennis of exceptional quality so far. The draw was very strong from the beginning of the week, and the standard has lived up to expectations. Day four promises to be even better as the top four seeds play their first matches. But who will book their place in the quarterfinals?
WTA Washington Day 4 Predictions
Maria Sakkari vs Leylah Fernandez
Head-to-head: Sakkari 1-0 Fernandez
Both women are playing their first matches since very tough losses at Wimbledon. Leylah Fernandez lost to Caroline Garcia in a final set tiebreak in the second round, while Maria Sakkari lost to Maria Kostyuk in the first round despite winning the opening set 6-0. Their only meeting was on a hard court but that was two and a half years ago, and does not seem particularly relevant to this contest.
Nevertheless, expect Sakkari to win this one. It may be surprising to many that the Greek is in the top 10, and yet only has one career title to her name won back in 2019. What that shows is Sakkari gets the bulk of her points from consistently winning in the early rounds (Wimbledon being an exception) and avoiding upsets. Fernandez did show flashes of the player who reached the US Open final in 2021, but flashes probably won’t be enough.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
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Caroline Garcia vs Marta Kostyuk
Head-to-head: Garcia 2-0 Kostyuk
Marta Kostyuk has shown she loves both an upset and a comeback. She did it at Wimbledon against Sakkari as mentioned previously. Her victory over world #44 Bianca Andreescu was less of a shock, but she won from behind again after losing the first set 6-2. Can she upset the hard hitting Caroline Garcia? It will be a tough ask. Garcia can be inconsistent at times as was shown at both the French Open and Wimbledon. But her style of play is perfectly suited to the hard courts of North America as she proved last year during her title run in Cincinnati and semifinal appearance at the US Open. Expect her to overwhelm the resilient Ukrainian with her formidable power to win.
Prediction: Garcia in 2
Jessica Pegula vs Peyton Stearns
Head-to-head: First meeting
Peyton Stearns lost in the qualifying, but she had made full use of her reprieve as a lucky loser. Her straight sets win over Magadalena Frech was hugely impressive, and the young American was dominant throughout. Her compatriot Jessica Pegula will represent a steep rise in the quality of opposition, however.
Pegula is just so solid in all areas and in all conditions having now made the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slams. Her style is not usually conducive to players creating big upsets. It would not surprise me if Stearns managed to win a set after her win against Frech and in a match where she has nothing to lose. But it would be a surprise if she was able to play her consistently enough to beat Pegula.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Main photo credit: Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports
