The WTA event in Prague moves on to the quarterfinal round, and we’re left with a few unexpected names. There could be more surprising results as the out of form veteran Alize Cornet takes on the flashy Tamara Korpatsch and Jaqueline Cristian, a player that started the year losing 11 of her first 14 matches, squares off against last week’s Budapest finalist, Kateryna Baindl. We’ve attempted to make sense of the head-to-heads as we look to predict the quarterfinals here at LWOT.
WTA Prague Quarterfinal Predictions
Tereza Martincova vs Nao Hibino
Head-to-head: Hibino 2-0 Martincova
Nao Hibino may already have two wins over Tereza Martincova but they both came around seven years ago. Hibino was probably playing her best tennis ranking-wise but Martincova’s level wasn’t wholly different from what it is now. The Czech definitely hits a bigger ball but Hibino has a knack for breaking down players who can’t deliver the goods repeatedly.
Now that Martincova’s got a bit rhythm at this tournament, however, we’re inclined to believe she can deliver the goods over and over albeit over some tight sets. If it had been the very start of the tournament, we might have picked otherwise.
Prediction: Martincova in 3
Kateryna Baindl vs Jaqueline Cristian
Head-to-head: Cristian 1-0 Baindl
Jaqueline Cristian accruing so many losses at the start of the year had to be due to injury. The Romanian hits a such a pure ball, she has the makings of a consistent top 100 player for sure.
Kateryna Baindl will have her hands full. She was a little lucky with her draw in Budapest, facing three consecutive players outside of the top 300 before defeating Claire Liu to reach her first WTA final in five years. We’re not convinced she’s on a tear of form and Cristian seems to be finding her feet again (see her first round win here over Marie Bouzkova).
Prediction: Cristian in 3
[cta id=445 type=cta]
Alize Cornet vs Tamara Korpatsch
Head-to-head: Cornet 1-0 Korpatsch
Is Alize Cornet back yet? Back-to-back quarterfinals with all four matches won clinched in deciding sets–she’s certainly as fit as she’s ever been and she seems to be finding her range again.
Tamara Korpatsch is a pretty big hitter but that won’t trouble Cornet too much. The Frenchwoman absorbs and redirects pace better than most on tour. We’re assuming Cornet is fighting fit so we’re backing a straight sets win.
Prediction: Cornet in 2
Linda Noskova vs Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
Head-to-head: First meeting
It’s not how well you play at your best, it’s how well you play at your worst that separates the best from the rest. Linda Noskova, an 18-year-old aspiring to become one of the best players in the world, scrapped through her second round against Ankita Raina. She was broken six times in the first two sets alone. Having survived that, she may now be playing with house money.
If Noskova swings freely, Anna Karolina Schmiedlova’s sometimes passive game could be blown apart. Noskova’s already made a WTA Tour final once before. Can she go one better here in her home country?
Prediction: Noskova in 2
