There should be plenty of entertaining tennis on day three at the WTA Qatar Open with 14 second-round matches on the schedule in Doha. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Magda Linette vs Barbora Krejcikova, Aryna Sabalenka vs Alize Cornet and Viktorija Golubic vs Iga Swiatek. But who will advance?
WTA Qatar Day 3 Predictions
Paula Badosa vs Clara Tauson
Head-to-head: Tauson 1-0 Badosa
Clara Tauson continued her fine start to 2022 with a first-round win over reigning Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic. That came after a quarterfinal showing in the WTA Gippsland Trophy and a run to the third round at the Australian Open. But the Dane faces a potentially stern test here up against third seed Paula Badosa. The Spaniard has been rather inconsistent so far this season, however, which may give Tauson hope she can pull off the upset.
Badosa did win the title at the WTA Sydney International, but she lost in the fourth round at Melbourne Park and in her openers in Adelaide and last-time out in Dubai. She also lost her only previous meeting with Tauson which came last season on the clay in Lyon. That said, this match-up does look more favourable for Badosa on a hard court, despite the strides Tauson has made on this surface. Badosa may be in for a tough day at the office, but expect her to have enough to come through unscathed.
Prediction: Badosa in 3
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Caroline Garcia vs Coco Gauff
Head-to-head: Gauff 1-0 Garcia
This has the makings of a fine match. Caroline Garcia may not be particularly consistent, and she certainly hasn’t lived up to Andy Murray’s prediction that she would reach the top of the rankings tree, but the Frenchwoman does thrive on the big stage. She delivered a reminder of just that point by beating Simona Halep, and fairly comfortably at that, in the first round. She may well like her chances up against Coco Gauff as well.
But the American, after a difficult start to the season, got back to winning ways against Shelby Rogers, dismissing her compatriot for the loss of only five games. And if her seemingly relentless rise stalled a little last year, it’s worth remembering that the world #23 has not yet celebrated her 18th birthday. The foundations of her game remain very solid and there are few players she cannot live with in the baseline exchanges. Garcia is good enough to win this match, but expect Gauff to have the edge.
Prediction: Gauff in 3
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Jelena Ostapenko vs Amanda Anisimova
Head-to-head: first meeting
Since announcing herself with a thrilling run to the French Open semifinals in 2019, Amanda Anisimova has had to contend with more than her fair share of struggles, on and off the court. Her opponent can also attest to how difficult it can be to back up a big run in Paris. In fact, with each passing year since her triumph at Roland Garros, Jelena Ostapenko seems to have slipped further and further away from contention at the Majors. The Latvian has, however, discovered a rich vein of form lately.
She arrived at the WTA Qatar Open fresh from winning the title in Dubai and she showed no signs of fatigue in dispatching Oceane Dodin 6-4 6-2 in her opener. Anisimova had to work a little harder to get past Beatriz Haddad Maia, but the American ultimately ran out a deserved 6-4 7-5 victor. It is hard to see her backing that up here though, unless Ostapenko’s level drops significantly. Ultimately, when the Latvian is striking the ball this well she is almost unplayable for most.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 2
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