It’s a wonderful quarterfinal lineup at the WTA Berlin Open, featuring a combination of top seeds, former top-10 players, and rising talents. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will be in action, but the most promising match will be between No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula and 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys. As always, we at LWOT will predict all the matches, but who will advance?
WTA Berlin Quarterfinal Predictions
Linda Noskova vs Paula Badosa
Head-to-Head: Noskova 1-0 Badosa
Former World No.2 Paula Badosa upset Coco Gauff to get her biggest win of the season. Not just the magnitude of the win, but the way she won after getting hammered in the first set will give her a lot of confidence. However, Gauff disappeared after the first set, and Linda Noskova might not make that mistake. Noskova’s serve is a weapon, and if Badosa doesn’t match it, she will be in trouble of getting broken. It’s never easy to back up a big win, especially against another quality opponent, and for that reason, I will go with Noskova.
Prediction: Noskova in 3
Elina Svitolina vs Alexandra Eala
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Alexandra Eala stunned the No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina by playing one of the best matches of her life in the Round of 16 at WTA Berlin. Rybakina was not at her best, but Eala’s second-serve return suffocated the former Wimbledon champion, leaving her no breathing room. Eala’s serve is also holding up pretty well and is harder to attack than before. Elina Svitolina would be another big test and probably even tougher, but if Eala plays as she did against Rybakina, she will keep this competitive.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
Aryna Sabalenka vs Nikola Bartunkova
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Aryna Sabalenka once again found it tricky to put away Ekaterina Alexandrova, who always brings her best tennis whenever she faces Sabalenka. The top seed must improve her level if she wants to win the title at WTA Berlin, but it shouldn’t be an issue against 20-year-old Nikola Bartunkova, who will play in her first tour-level quarterfinal on grass. Bartunkova has displayed a fearless brand of tennis so far, but beating the World No. 1 might be too big a task for her.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Jessica Pegula vs Madison Keys
Head-to-Head: Pegula 2-2 Keys
Jessica Pegula is back to winning ways after the tough loss in the French Open first round. She easily defeated Katerina Siniakova despite this being her first match on grass this season. However, her level will be tested against her compatriot Madison Keys, who seems to be getting back to her best at the perfect time. Karolina Muchova is a quality player and did not play a bad match, but still lost in straight sets to Keys. I think Pegula will be a bit more solid, which could be the deciding factor.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Main Photo Credit: Peter Van den Berg – USA TODAY Sports
