Two fascinating WTA Strasbourg semifinals are scheduled. 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina hopes to reach her first final in over a year by beating Beatriz Haddad Maia. Danielle Collins will make it back-to-back WTA Strasbourg finals if she defeats Liudmila Samsonova. As always, we here at LWOT are offering our predictions for both matches, but who will reach the final?
WTA Strasbourg Semifinal Predictions
Danielle Collins vs Liudmila Samsonova
Head-to-head: Samsonova 1-0 Collins
Collins received a walkover from Anna Kalinskaya in the quarterfinal. The 2022 Australian Open runner-up registered victories against Sofia Kenin and Emma Raducanu in the previous rounds. Samsonova performed very impressively to overcome Linda Noskova, Diane Parry, and Paula Badosa. Her run to the semifinal is a welcome return to form after she started the clay-court swing with just one victory and three losses.
Both women are aggressive players with superb backhands. A key element of this matchup is which player can use their strength most decisively. Samsonova landing a high percentage of first serves could also be crucial since Collins dominating on second-serve return was the most pivotal difference between her and Raducanu in their three-set battle.
Overall, Collins is favored to make another WTA Strasbourg final. She clearly enjoys the conditions, and her superior return might prove the difference in the end. It could be tight, though, and a Samsonova win is entirely possible if she plays her best tennis.
Prediction: Collins in 3
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Elena Rybakina vs Beatriz Haddad Maia
Head-to-head: Haddad Maia 2-1 Rybakina
This tournament has been important for both players. Haddad Maia had only managed one singles win since the end of the Australian Open before beating Clara Tauson, Ashlyn Kruger, and Emma Navarro. Rybakina has also endured a challenging season, and reaching her first final since April 2024 would give her a welcome boost. She beat Wang Xinyu and Magda Linette to set up this match.
Haddad Maia used the drop shot very effectively against Navarro, who is among the fastest players on the WTA Tour. Rybakina being slower than Navarro might tempt the Brazilian to use it again, but the former Wimbledon champion’s groundstrokes being more powerful makes it harder to implement the drop shot as well. Aside from that, Haddad Maia will try to frustrate Rybakina and get her to leak several unforced errors.
The head-to-head is somewhat misleading since their last two meetings ended in retirements, and the one completed match was over two years ago. Although Haddad Maia has a chance if Rybakina is as erratic as she has been in some of her matches this season, the Kazakhstani starts this match as the favorite. Rybakina’s height means Haddad Maia will find it hard to push her back by using spin like she did to Navarro, simplifying the matchup for the world #3 on clay.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
