It’s the last day of the round-robin stage at the 2023 WTA Elite Trophy. Azalea group has been completed already, whereas the other three have just one match remaining. Who will join Daria Kasatkina in the semifinals?
WTA Elite Trophy Day 4 Predictions
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Caroline Garcia
Head-to-head: First meeting
This is where the format shines – the winner takes it all here. Whoever prevails will remain in the tournament as both players have defeated Madison Keys. Caroline Garcia won the WTA Finals last year and looks determined to take the title at its smaller counterpart now. The Frenchwoman’s form has been trending in the right direction in the last few weeks of the season too. Her style is so inconsistent, but Beatriz Haddad Maia might struggle to find the response if Garcia has one of her good days.
Prediction: Garcia in 2
Liudmila Samsonova vs Veronika Kudermetova
Head-to-head: 2-2
Veronika Kudermetova is already out of the WTA Elite Trophy, but it’s not like she’ll just give up here. Liudmila Samsonova will want it more though as her promotion depends purely on whether she wins or loses. Pressure will be high and she has to show she’s equipped to handle that. The two big-serving Russians have already played each other four times, including once this season with Samsonova winning 6-3 6-3 in Abu Dhabi. Her baseline game is a little more imposing with the flat forehand and she’ll have more determination to prevail.
Prediction: Samsonova in 3
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Jelena Ostapenko vs Qinwen Zheng
Head-to-head: Zheng 2-0
This is another shoot-out for the semifinal spot with both players defeating Donna Vekic. It was considerably tougher for Qinwen Zheng, but Jelena Ostapenko also dropped a set. The Chinese is on a six-match win streak with the Zhengzhou title and will have the home crowd behind her. But the main advantage here might be the serve. In their two previous meetings, Ostapenko had plenty of issues both reading it and returning it well. The Latvian generally doesn’t perform against players who can keep her on the back foot with the first strike.
Prediction: Zheng in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
