Five quarterfinal spots will be up for grabs at the WTA Stuttgart on Thursday. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are the USA’s top-ranked women who will be in action in a five-star lineup at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. Who will join Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek in the last eight?
WTA Stuttgart Day 4 Predictions
Jessica Pegula vs Magdalena Frech
Head-to-head: Pegula 2-0 Frech
Pegula’s withdrawal from the USA’s Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers this past weekend was a sensible decision. She had played 19 matches between the end of February and early April. In that time, she reached three finals (won two titles) and still made the second week of Indian Wells. She is now the WTA player with the most match wins this season (25). Frech got her Stuttgart campaign off and running with a battling three-set victory against lucky loser Sara Errani, snapping a five-match losing streak. The Pole is having a disjointed season. Pegula, by contrast, is having a phenomenal season and should capitalize against an off-color opponent.
Prediction: Pegula in 2
Jasmine Paolini vs Jule Niemeier
Head-to-head: Paolini 2-0 Niemeier
Paolini’s first match under the tutelage of new coach Marc Lopez was a successful one. The Italian powered past German wild card Eva Lys 6-2 6-1. Niemeier took over three hours to down countrywoman Laura Siegemund despite recording 46 unforced errors. It was an emotional win for Niemeier, who needed three attempts to get off the mark in Stuttgart, and she shed a few tears of joy after the match. The 25-year-old home favorite won’t get away with a repeat error-strewn performance against the much-fancied Paolini.
Prediction: Paolini in 2
Mirra Andreeva vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Head-to-head: first meeting
This should be an exciting watch. Andreeva earned a retirement win over her sister Erika and has quickly bounced back from her defeat to Anisimova in Miami. She could potentially make her Top 5 debut if she wins the tournament. But she’ll need to get past former quarterfinalist Alexandrova before dreaming of that landmark. Alexandrova has the heavier weaponry on a surface that is slightly faster than a traditional clay court. Still, the seasoned Russian’s shot acceleration might be ineffective against Andreeva’s quick and penetrating returns.
Prediction: Andreeva in 3
Emma Navarro vs Jelena Ostapenko
Head-to-head: first meeting
Navarro was made to wait for hours before taking to the court for her opening match on Tuesday night. Luckily for her, she didn’t spend too much time toppling the out-of-form Beatriz Haddad Maia. She dropped just three games in a clinical performance. Ostapenko was cruising by a set and a break when Dayana Yastremska retired due to illness. It was the Latvian’s eighth win in 17 matches this season, hardly the kind of stat that would delight her. The irony here is that Navarro, who is an American and has mostly trained on hard courts throughout her career, is more at ease on clay (more career wins on clay than on hard). Her game has texture, and her strengths become more visible. Ostapenko could struggle to cope with that style.
Prediction: Navarro in 3
Coco Gauff vs Tatjana Maria
Head-to-head: Gauff 2-0 Maria
Gauff is among the top four seeds in Stuttgart and will only need to win one match to reach the quarterfinals. By her high standards, she is coming off an underwhelming hard-court season in the spring. However, she can make up for lost points in her next two clay events. Lucky loser Ella Seidel outlasted Tatjana Maria in a marathon match which lasted almost three hours. Seidel is a big hitter but her indecisiveness means she’s prone to making the most basic errors. And against the top players she won’t get a second chance to redeem herself.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
