A fantastic day 4 is in store for the Western & Southern Open, with all eight third-round WTA Cincinnati matches scheduled. While rain may interrupt parts of play towards the evening, there are plenty of exciting matches that will be completed. LWOT offers insight into all of these matches, with this piece highlighting World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. The other section of the draw, highlighted by Maria Sakkari vs Karolina Muchova can be found here.
WTA Cincinnati Day 4 Predictions
Elena Rybakina vs Jasmine Paolini
Head-to-head: Rybakina 1-0
Rybakina battled through an extremely difficult opener against Jelena Ostapenko, recovering from a set down to win. This seems like an easier matchup for the 2022 Wimbledon champion, as Paolini lacks significant weapons. It’ll be interesting to see whether Rybakina has some lingering shoulder injury problems, but she’ll regardless grind through into the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Coco Gauff vs Linda Noskova
Head-to-head: Gauff 1-0
This is a rare circumstance where Coco Gauff is actually playing an opponent younger than her. Noskova did well to stun ninth-seed Petra Kvitova, prevailing in a tight third set. The two played against each other recently in Indian Wells, where Gauff was able to take advantage of just a few key break points to win. Noskova may struggle against consistent players, and won’t be gifted free point against a solid player like Gauff.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Marketa Vondrousova vs Sloane Stephens
Head-to-head: First meeting
Sloane Stephens definitely is back in the top tier of women’s tennis, evident in her 4-6 6-4 6-4 win over defending champion Caroline Garcia. This is a great opportunity for the American, who will have the time to set up her consistent groundstrokes. With the American crowd behind her, she’ll be fired up. Vondrousova has looked convincing this tournament, but I’m expecting a bit of a let-up against adversity.
Prediction: Stephens in 2
Iga Świątek vs Qinwen Zheng
Head-to-head: Swiatek 3-0
Qinwen Zheng made a name for herself against Swiatek during their first meeting: she was one of the only players to actually push the World No. 1 during her 37 match winning streak. At the 2022 French Open, Zheng played some resilient tennis to win the first set against Swiatek. While Zheng has regressed a little bit since her 2022 breakthrough, she’s been playing solid tennis in Cincinnati, highlighted by a three-set win over Venus Williams. However, Swiatek looked fantastic in her 6-1 6-0 win over Collins, so expect a quick straight-setter.
Prediction: Świątek in 2
Main Photo: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports
