Day 4 at the WTA event in Cleveland, just a few days before the final Major of the year in New York, features last year’s Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova looking to turn around her disastrous year.
WTA Cleveland Day 4 Predictions
Madison Brengle vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Head-to-head: 0-0
Despite being ranked #63 in the world, believe it or not, Madison Brengle had not won a match on the main WTA Tour in almost three months before this week, and even that was a hard fought 7-5 in the third win. Alexandrova’s form is a bit hard to understand right now after taking two months out with a wrist injury not long after winning a title in the Netherlands on the grass. She did have a good win against last year’s US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in the first round but the wrist was still of clear issues with 14 double faults along the way. If there was a good time to play the Russian it’s no doubt now. Brengle’s game, despite being controversial and scrappy, could force Alexandrova into rallies she doesn’t want to play this early in her comeback but to think the American can do it regularly enough to win is asking too much.
Prediction: Alexandrova in 2
Laura Siegemund vs Liudmila Samsonova
Head-to-head: Samsonova 1-0
Siegemund has plummeted down the rankings and is now ranked outside the Top 200 despite two back-to-back ITF titles in June. If anything, it’s a shock she’s even in the second round here after an amazing unexpected win against top 50 player Anhelina Kalinina in the last round. Unfortunately for her, Samsonova is in great form just coming off her Washington title win. Siegemund is far past her best tennis and this won’t be overly close.
Prediction: Samsonova in 2
Shuai Zhang vs Martina Trevisan
Head-to-head: Zhang 2-0
With Zhang leading the rivalry 2-0 with both matches being routine, it’s hard to see much chance for the Italian here. With no disrespect to Trevisan despite having a great year so far highlighted by a semi-final at Roland Garros, off clay she simply doesn’t have the game to compete with most of the top 50 women as highlighted by her results. If Zhang plays like she did last week en route to the Cincinnati quarter-finals, this will be easy for the Chinese woman.
Prediction: Zhang in 2
Barbora Krejcikova vs Bernarda Pera
Head-to-head: 0-0
What a blockbuster match this could be. Only a few months ago the Czech was the second best player in the world but after a bunch of injuries now finds herself outside the Top 20 with no singles finals in over seven months. On the other hand, home favorite Pera is in the form of her life.
Despite being on the clay, the American qualified for Budapest and ended up winning the title not dropping a single set. Then she went onto win Hamburg without dropping a set either just to prove that Budapest wasn’t a one off. This is so hard to call, it’s only a matter of time before last year’s Roland Garros champion starts to play better again but could this be a matter of too soon for her?
Prediction: Pera in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
