A long rain interruption on Day 3 of the WTA Charleston Open means some of those matches have been rescheduled for day 4. This includes Sloane Stephens vs Leylah Fernandez and Danielle Collins vs Ons Jabeur. There are also six round of 16 contests scheduled, with three of these predicted here. The rest of the round of 16 action is predicted in a separate article, including Jessica Pegula vs Magda Linette.
WTA Charleston Day 4 Predictions
Daria Kasatkina vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head-to-head: Kasatkina 3-1 Kalinina
Anhelina Kalinina was very impressive in her second win in the space of a couple of weeks against Caroline Wozniacki, although the Dane struggled to adapt her movement to the green clay at the WTA Charleston Open. However, Daria Kasatkina will pose a much tougher challenge. She is a former champion in Charleston and will be tough to hit through. Expect this to be a close and high-quality encounter. In a tight match, Kasatkina’s grit and resilience make her a slight favorite.
Prediction: Kasatkina in 3
Victoria Azarenka vs Taylor Townsend
Head-to-head: First meeting
This should be a fun battle to watch. Townsend often gets inspired in front of her home fans. She did this in the last round to overcome recent Miami semifinalist Ekaterina Alexandrova. Yet, Victoria Azarenka has the solid and consistent playing style that can stifle Townsend’s electrifying tennis. There will undoubtedly be a lot of great rallies, with Townsend trying to keep the home fans at the WTA Charleston Open fired up. But Azarenka has the experience and composure to handle that to prevail.
Prediction: Azarenka in 3
Sloane Stephens vs Danielle Collins
Head-to-head: Collins 1-0 Stephens
It is now nine wins in a row for Danielle Collins. Can Stephens stop her? She is most likely to do it on clay where she can soak up her compatriot’s pressure. Stephens was very impressive in her opening two matches but is often plagued by incosistency. However, I think this may be where the Collins run ends. Stephens is adept at creating angles on clay with the amount of Spin she uses. After her mammoth efforts in recent weeks, getting Collins on the run might be the way to beat her.
Prediction: Stephens in 2
Maria Sakkari vs Astra Sharma
Head-to-head: Sakkari 1-0 Sharma
Last year’s Guadalajara champion Maria Sakkari’s partnership with David Witt has enjoyed a promising start. The Greek starts as a heavy favorite against the much lower ranked Sharma. Despite this, she needs to be on her game here. Astra Sharma was very good in her straight set triumphs against Arina Rodionova and Lesia Tsurenko. Clay is also her favorite surface and she has nothing to lose here. But Sakkari seems in a great place right now and is likely to have the necessary attitude and quality to avoid an upset.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
