The quarterfinals are set at the WTA Merida Open, and the lineup is strong, with both top seeds going strong. Paula Badosa will take on Daria Saville while Emma Navarro faces the defending champion Zeynep Sonmez. As always, we at LWOT will offer predictions for every match on the slate. But which players will advance to the semifinals?
WTA Merida Quarterfinal Predictions
Rebecca Sramkova vs Emiliana Arango
Head-to-Head: Sramkova 0-1 Arango
Rebecca Sramkova is into her first quarterfinal of the season as she played a solid match against Beatriz Haddad Maia and won in straight sets. This was Sramkova’s second op 20 win of the year and she will be the favorite against the qualifier, Emiliano Arango, who is now on a nine-match win streak in all competitions. Another win will take Arango to a new career high and a debut inside the Top 100 next week. However, she has not played anyone close to Sramkova’s ranking this season so this would be a huge task. I am going with the Slovak.
Prediction: Sramkova in 3
Elina Avanesyan vs Maya Joint
Head-to-Head: first meeting
It was a big improvement from Elina Avanesyan over her first round match as she defeated Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in straight sets. Avanesyan has been playing at a high level and has lost only once when she was the favourite on paper this season. She will take on the 18-year-old, Maya Joint, who completely outplayed Donna Vekic in the second round and got her first top-20 win in the process.
Joint’s rise has been incredible as she started the 2024 season outside the top 600 and is now well inside the top 100 in the live rankings. However, she must be ready for a much tougher match as Avanesyan won’t give much away from the baseline. This should be a good match between two in-form players, but my prediction is in favour of Avanesyan.
Prediction: Avanesyan in 3
Paula Badosa vs Daria Saville
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Paula Badosa got off to a great start, beating Jaqueline Cristian comfortably. Badosa has a good path to the finals and should make it if she plays her best tennis. It has been a week of resurgence for Daria Saville after a horrible start to the season. She defeated Anhelina Kalinina after losing the first set to get to her first quarterfinal of the season. However, I don’t like her chances against the superior quality of Badosa’s ball striking.
Prediction: Badosa in 2
Emma Navarro vs Zeynep Sonmez
Head-to-Head: Navarro 1-0 Sonmez
Emma Navarro made light work of Petra Martic in the second round, losing just three games. Navarro is into her third quarterfinal of the season and will look to reach the semifinals for the first time this year. The last time Navarro played Zeynep Sonmez, she easily won, but that was on clay. Sonmez is a better player on hard courts and seems to play her best tennis at the Merida Open. I expect a closer match but the gap in quality is still significant.
Prediction: Navarro in 3
Main Photo Credit: Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports
