We have reached the final eight at the WTA event in Monastir. The top two seeds Jasmine Paolini and Lucia Bronzetti are two of the players still left in the tournament. As always, we at LWOT provide our predictions and analysis for all of the matches. There has been much superb tennis played so far in Tunisia. But which four players will progress to the semifinals?
WTA Monastir Quarterfinal Predictions
Lesia Tsurenko vs Nuria Parrizas-Diaz
Head-to-head: First meeting
Parrizas-Diaz has been the biggest surprise package so far this week in Monastir. The Spaniard is ranked outside the Top 100 and her results have been very inconsistent throughout the season. Yet she defeated fourth seed Magdalena Frech in the opening round and then fought through to the quarterfinal by coming from a set down against Katerina Zavatska. Her contest with Tsurenko promises to be entertaining. Both players like to play aggressively and there is is unlikely to be a shortage of winners in this one. Ultimately, Tsurenko’s hitting is slightly more devastating if she finds her range. I think she will enough times to win, but Parrizas-Diaz is playing great tennis and an upset would not be a major surprise.
Prediction: Tsurenko in 3
Elise Mertens vs Mai Hontama
Head-to-head: First meeting
Mertens ranking is the better of these two players by a distance. But Hontama should not be ruled out here. The Japanese player reached a career-ranking earlier this month and has used that momentum positively so far in Monastir. Hontama will need to be as aggressive as possible to have a realistic chance of winning. A Mertens victory will be inevitable if she is given time to prepare her accurate groundstrokes. Overall, Mertens is likely to use her athleticism and firepower to overwhelm Hontama over the course of a match, although expect it to be a competitive match for long periods.
Prediction: Mertens in 3
Clara Burel vs Lucrezia Stefanini
Head-to-head: First meeting
Burel was below her best in the last round against Erika Andreeva but managed to fight through. The Frenchwoman had been largely short of victories since a run to the final in Lausanne in July, although she did reach the third-round of the US Open. Burel will likely require a better performance to overcome Stefanini. It has been a mixed season overall for the Italian but she has been in very good form so far in Monastir. This is likely to come down to how well Burel can absorb pressure from Stefanini, who is the more powerful and more aggressive of the two players. Burel is the favourite in most conditions, but Stefanini gets the edge in Monastir. The courts are pretty quick in Tunisia and that might allow her to hit enough winners to progress to the semifinal.
Prediction: Stefanini in 3
Jasmine Paolini vs Lucia Bronzetti
Head-to-head: Paolini 1-1 Bronzetti
This has all the elements of a tight match. Paolini has consistently played the better tennis throughout 2023, which is why she is ahead of her Italian compatriot in the rankings. However, Bronzetti can be difficult to stop when she finds form. The 24-year-old has suffered several first-round losses this season but also reached two finals, winning one of those in Morocco in May. Paolini very rarely drops her level and is quickly developing into one of the most consistent players on the WTA Tour. It is up to Bronzetti to find a way to hit through her. Can she do it? It is possible, but I am still going with Paolini’s consistency to get over the line at WTA Monastir.
Prediction: Paolini in 3
Syndication: The Enquirer
