Mirra Andreeva was the headline story of WTA Madrid last year, beating Beatriz Haddad Maia, Leylah Fernandez, and Magda Linette on the way to the fourth round (and turning 16 during the event). Can the Russian prodigy do it all over again, this time facing a fellow Next Gen star Linda Noskova? We at LWOT also predict the other WTA matches on Day 4 in Madrid, split between three other articles. One features Danielle Collins vs Olga Danilovic, the second highlights Aryna Sabalenka vs Magda Linette, and the third features Barbora Krejcikova vs Jaqueline Cristian. Who do you think will come out on top?
WTA Madrid Day 4 Predictions
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Daria Saville
Head-to-head: 1-1
Daria Saville lost in the qualifying draw to Jaqueline Cristian, but made the most of her lucky loser opportunity by defeating Hailey Baptiste. She’s not exactly drawing dead against her next opponent either, although the power difference between her and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is quite extreme. The Russian made it to the semifinals here three years ago and often performs well in faster clay conditions. That’s probably enough to call her the favorite as she’s got the weaponry to blast through Saville’s varied defending.
Prediction: Pavlyuchenkova in 3
Katie Boulter vs Robin Montgomery
Head-to-head: First meeting
Katie Boulter has very little clay experience, but it seemed like she made a quick leap even during Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup tie against France. After getting blown out by Diane Parry, she came back the next day to score a key point over Clara Burel. Still, she remains relatively untested on the surface and is far from one of the strongest seeds here. It might take her a while to get into the match, but after all Robin Montgomery is one of the easier draws she could have received.
Prediction: Boulter in 3
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Ashlyn Krueger
Head-to-head: First meeting
Ekaterina Alexandrova can be so hot and cold, but she generally enjoys the conditions in Madrid and made the semifinals here two years ago. She’s yet to post a win this clay season and will be desperate to get on the board here. What might help her is that Ashlyn Krueger’s red clay experience is quite limited, but the talented American is not to be underestimated. It’s still a match where Alexandrova will be dealing the cards though and will have it under control as long as she stays within the lines.
Prediction: Alexandrova in 2
Mirra Andreeva vs Linda Noskova
Head-to-head: Noskova 1-0
Mirra Andreeva announced herself on the big stage during this event last year and could really use a run like that again to reaffirm her position as one of the greatest young prospects in the world. You could see that recent months haven’t been going well for her in how nervous she got against Taylor Townsend. She’s facing a fellow future star Linda Noskova here and while the Czech can bring more fire to the table, Andreeva’s defensive assets seem a bit more reliable at the moment.
Prediction: Andreeva in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
