Alize Cornet, Natalia Vikhlyantseva, Xinyun Han, and Bernarda Pera secured their respective quarterfinal spots at the Ladies Championships in Lausanne. Which four players will join them? We make our picks below.
WTA Lausanne Thursday Predictions
Simona Waltert vs Jil Teichmann
Head to Head: Waltert 1-0 Teichmann
Waltert, aided by the injury bug, pulled off what seemed impossible and defeated top seed Julia Goerges in the Round of 32. That was her first ever WTA main draw win, so a sizable jump in the rankings is in store for the 18-year-old wild card. Meanwhile, Teichmann also started the tournament by upending a big name like Timea Bacsinszky. Whoever prevails in this all-Swiss battle will be the lone representative from the host nation in the quarters.
Even though Waltert got the win in the only previous encounter between the two, back in 2017, the overall skill disparity at the moment should be too large to overcome for the underdog.
Prediction: Teichmann in 2
Anastasia Potapova vs Tamara Korpatsch
Head to Head: first meeting
Currently, Korpatsch does not inspire much confidence. The German required another self-sabotage from Eugenie Bouchard to win her opener. Korpatsch was down 6-2 4-2 at one point. In the last seven events she entered (Trnava, Roland Garros, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Birmingham, Wimbledon, Contrexeville, Lausanne), the German has just collected three narrow victories: 4-6 7-6 7-6 versus Paula Badosa, 6-3 6-7 6-4 over Robin Anderson and 2-6 6-4 7-5 against Bouchard.
Teens with tremendous upside like Potapova tend to be streaky, but it’s hard to see the Russian not advancing.
Prediction: Potapova in 2
Allie Kiick vs Samantha Stosur
Head to Head: Kiick 1-0 Stosur
In arguably the most impressive performance of the first round, Kiick dismantled fifth seed Tatjana Maria 6-1 6-0. The 24-year-old American, who has defeated way tougher opponents (stage 2 melanoma, soft cartilage defect) is hoping to improve her career-high ranking with a win against Stosur. The Aussie, whose ranking is free falling lately, barely beat World No. 160 Barbara Haas 4-6 7-5 6-3. At 2018 Cincinnati, Kiick won 7-6 6-1 and, according to an article she wrote for Cracked Racquets, red clay is her favorite surface. This doesn’t bode well for Stosur, does it?
Prediction: Kiick in 3
Fiona Ferro vs Mihaela Buzarnescu
Head to Head: Ferro 1-0 Buzarnescu
Following a career season in 2018, when she climbed over 200 spots in the rankings, Ferro dug herself a hole early in 2019. The 22-year-old lost six of her first seven matches of the campaign, but she has been able to right the ship since. Ferro needs a big result in Lausanne, as she is dropping 130 points from her 2018 Olomuc title.
Speaking of career years, Buzarnescu had far and away her best season in 2018 too. The list of year-end rankings of the Romanian is one of the most atypical you’ll ever find. Having peaked at No. 20 last August, Buzarnescu is in serious danger of crashing out of the Top 100 soon, since 580 points will be coming off the books within three weeks.
In 2016, Ferro thrashed Buzarnescu 6-1 6-0 on clay. While expecting a similar score would be crazy, the Romanian’s current form resembles her 2016 version more than her 2018 version.
Prediction: Ferro in 2
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