A loaded WTA Qatar Open field has yielded an excellent quarterfinal lineup, with six of the top seeds making it to the final eight. Two primarily clay-court talents face off in Garbine Muguruza and Jelena Ostapenko, though both players are strong on hard as well and deserving of a semifinal spot. Close friends Ons Jabeur and Anett Kontaveit will face off in the other bottom half match, with Jabeur fighting back from a back injury that kept her out for several weeks. Aryna Sabalenka looks again like her dangerous self but takes on Iga Swiatek who seems like a mainstay in WTA quarterfinals. Young American Coco Gauff takes on Maria Sakkari in what should be an entertaining match between two talented players fighting for their first big title. Tennis fans are in for a treat and we have predictions for all of the day’s matches.
WTA Qatar Open Quarterfinal Predictions
Coco Gauff vs Maria Sakkari
Head-to-head: 2-1 Sakkari
Gauff has rebounded after a tough couple tournaments to a strong start in Qatar. She has won all six sets played, including a dominant win over Paula Badosa, one of the tournament favorites. Sakkari is having another strong tournament, winning both her matches comfortably after reaching the final two weeks ago in St. Petersburg. This will be power on power with two strong players who look to be in great form this week trying to outhit each other.
Sakkari is certainly the more experienced player but Gauff has shown comfort on the big stages so far in her short career. One of Gauff’s biggest struggles is week-to-week consistency, but when she is on she is usually very tough to beat. Gauff will be in a good place as an underdog where she can swing freely and force Sakkari into airs. This matchup is close to a toss-up, but Gauff looks sharp this week and will pull off the upset in a close one.
Prediction: Gauff in 3
Ons Jabeur vs Anett Kontaveit
Head-to-head: 3-2 Jabeur
This will be a fun match if their previous matchups are any indication. Jabeur won both of their matches last year but retired after losing the first set in their match earlier this year. Kontaveit finished 2021 on a terror, winning titles in consecutive weeks then ending the year strong by reaching the final at the WTA Finals. Though she had a disappointing Australian Open, she bounced back strong, winning another title at St. Petersburg a couple weeks ago.
Jabeur also had a strong 2021 but has not been able to ride that momentum. A back injury forced her to retire against Kontaveit in Sydney and miss the Australian Open. She looked strong in Dubai but it is unclear whether she is at 100% of her abilities. In current form, it is near impossible to pick against Kontaveit. She has been in elite form and when facing a potentially hampered Jabeur has a big advantage. Kontaveit will win easily and fight to compete for another title.
Prediction: Kontaveit in 2
Garbiñe Muguruza vs Jelena Ostapenko
Head-to-head: 3-1 Muguruza
Muguruza owns the head-to-head, but it is near meaningless since they have not faced off since 2017. Ostapenko has gotten increasingly more comfortable on hard courts over the past few years and is currently a serious threat on the surface. Muguruza won last year’s WTA Finals but has not won more than one match at any of her last five tournaments outside of Guadalajara and came into Qatar with just a 3-3 record on the year. Ostapenko lost in the third round in Australia but has backed that up with a semifinal in St. Petersburg and captured her first hard court title since 2019 in Dubai.
Both players have cruised to the quarterfinal with only one set dropped between the two. Neither player is best on the surface, so Ostapenko will have to control the game from the baseline to win. Muguruza will have to hit through her and control the match early, but if Ostapenko plays the same game she did to crush Barbora Krejcikova she will be hard to beat. The only concern with Ostapenko is endurance after playing five matches last week. She is still young and playing great tennis and will continue to her third straight semifinal.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 3
Aryna Sabalenka vs Iga Swiatek
Head-to-head: 1-0 Sabalenka
Sabalenka has been dominant here in Qatar after a disappointing 4-4 record to start the year. Swiatek started the year strong, making the semis in both Adelaide and at the Australian Open. Any Sabalenka match is hard to predict because she has incredible talent and can dominate almost any player on tour but is also error-prone and can beat herself. She has lost just seven games in two matches, and has found some consistency by beating Jil Teichmann without a single double fault.
Swiatek had a nervy second round but came back with a confident win over Daria Kasatkina. Swiatek has improved a lot outside of clay courts but has few wins against elite opposition on the surface. Sabalenka will have to limit mistakes because Swiatek can make her pay, but she is definitely the far stronger player on the surface. Sabalenka looks in good form and poised to be able to take the title and will be too much for Swiatek to handle.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
