We are looking at the other four singles matches at WTA Strasbourg Day 4. Seeds four, six, and seven take to the courts. We will offer our thoughts on who moves on and who will fall at this stage. There are some very tough matches ahead. We also have predictions for the rest of the day’s matches in a separate article.
WTA Strasbourg Day 4
Madison Keys vs Xinyu Wang
Head to Head 2-0.
Madison Keys has had a great build up so far. In the clay events the American has participated in as the warm up for Roland Garros, she has had a semi final and a quarter final. Interestingly, the same player beat her in both those events and that was Iga Swiatek. Keys won’t have to worry, as the Pole is not here in Strasbourg. Xinyu Wang has not had the same results. The Chinese has lost in second round in both Madrid and Rome. Each time to a seeded player. As Keys is seeded here and leads the head to head, it’s very difficult to see that changing.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Magda Linette
Head to Head: 2-2
Ekaterina Alexandrova is the sixth seed and has already played a match here as one of the lower seeds. The Russian had to battle hard in the second set, after dominating the first to set up this tasty match. Magda Linette had to fight even harder, as both sets she played very nearly went to tiebreaks. Both will be eager to progress here, having not had the bests of build ups on clay. With the head to head so close, it will be a great match to watch with both fighting hard.
Prediction: Linette in 3
Fiona Ferro vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head to Head: First Meeting
Fiona Ferro impressed in the first round. Dispatching qualifier Erika Andreeva with a dominating display. The French woman failed to qualify for Madrid and Rome, but in the WTA 125 event in Paris got all the way to the quarter final. Anhelina Kalinina knocked out the eighth seed in the first round. The Ukrainian took the seed all the way in a tough match. Early exits in the previous events won’t have given Kalinina much confidence, but taking out a seed in the first round does help ease any nerves. However, there is always the risk of the “seed bounce”
Prediction: Ferro in 3
Clara Burel vs Elina Svitolina
Head to Head: 0-2.
Clara Burel is at a career high ranking of #43, which she achieved this week. A quarter final in St Malo earlier in May will have been a good boost to confidence. Unfortunately, in Rome, Burel came up against Naomi Osaka who is on her comeback after a hiatus due to becoming a mother. Osaka made the fourth round in Rome. Elina Svitolina is the seventh seed here and will be looking for a good run. In Rome, the Ukrainian made the round of 16 and took the second seed the distance in a very close match. Svitolina will hope to get a run together as the final preparation for Roland Garros. Both Burel and Svitolina made the semifinal here in Strasbourg last season, with Svitolina going on to the final
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
