There are two intriguing WTA Cleveland semifinals scheduled for Friday. The 2023 French Open semifinalist Beatriz Haddad Maia faces the No. 3 seed Katerina Siniakova in a blockbuster matchup, while Anastasia Potapova vs McCartney Kessler is a battle of the surprise semifinalists. As always, we at LWOT give our predictions and analysis for both contests. But which two players do you think will reach the final?
WTA Cleveland Semifinal Predictions
Anastasia Potapova vs McCartney Kessler
Head-to-head: First meeting
Potapova had only managed one victory at her previous five events before the tournament in Cleveland. However, she stormed to the semifinal in style, dropping only 12 games in her six sets against Diane Parry, Clara Tauson, and Ana Bogdan. Kessler had to work harder to reach this stage. She won her first two matches in a deciding set before beating Arantxa Rus more comfortably in the quarterfinal.
The American must be even more aggressive than in her previous matches against Potapova. Kessler is very unlikely to consistently out-rally her solid opponent over two or three sets. Potapova will have the pressure of being the favorite against an American playing on home soil, but it is still tough not to back her. The Russian’s level was better than Kessler’s in the opening three rounds and she is more experienced.
Prediction: Potapova in 2
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Katerina Siniakova
Head-to-head: Haddad Maia 1-1 Siniakova
Siniakova’s route to the semifinal has been the toughest of the four players left in the draw. She needed a deciding set tiebreak to defeat Sayaka Ishii and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and also beat Peyton Stearns in the third set. The Czech recovered from losing the first set in all those matches. By contrast, Haddad Maia won all her matches in straight sets, although she did recover from 0-5 down in the second set against Viktorija Golubic.
This has been a tricky matchup for Haddad Maia. Siniakova comfortably defeated her in their first meeting, and the Brazilian came through a very tight battle in their last match. The nine-time Grand Slam doubles champion rushes Haddad Maia’s left-handed forehand with her flat backhand, repeatedly getting joy with that play in their previous matches.
Haddad Maia is still a slight favorite because of her level in her opening three matches. The medium-speed conditions in Cleveland will also help her manage Siniakova’s flat shots and give her time to extend the rallies and find angles on the court. An upset would not be hugely surprising, though.
Prediction: Haddad Maia in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
