We arrive in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 WTA Slovenia Open. Top-seeded Emma Raducanu has been eliminated, but the next two players on the ranking list are still going for the title. Beatriz Haddad Maia plays Ana Bogdan, while Elena Rybakina takes on Lesia Tsurenko. Who do you think will make the final?
WTA Slovenia Open Quarterfinal Predictions
Anna-Lena Friedsam vs Diane Parry
Head-to-head: First meeting
Anna-Lena Friedsam’s two main draw wins so far have been incredibly gritty with the veteran making good use of her experience. She’ll face another youngster in Diane Parry, who’s got the huger upside but is definitely vulnerable to getting outfoxed. If the Frenchwoman can hit her forehand well, she’s got everything to gain the upper hand. Friedsam doesn’t go out without a fight though.
Prediction: Parry in 3
Katerina Siniakova vs Jasmine Paolini
Head-to-head: First meeting
Jasmine Paolini is definitely proving this week that she’s not as much of a clay specialist as many think she is. The Italian can take the ball early and has some decent pop on her groundstrokes. Katerina Siniakova might be too strong though and she has the tools to put a lot of pressure on Paolini. Perhaps she wasn’t on fire coming into the event, but it wasn’t that long ago when she dominated a very strong field at a 100K ITF in Grodzisk Mazowiecki.
Prediction: Siniakova in 3
Ana Bogdan vs Beatriz Haddad Maia
Head-to-head: Haddad Maia 2-1
Beatriz Haddad Maia is having a spectacular season and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. In WTA Tour main draw matches, she currently owns 41 wins and 17 losses, raising her baseline game to a level where most players really struggle to beat her. Ana Bogdan has done well this week, but she generally doesn’t have that sort of attacking caliber to stop Haddad Maia from finding her range.
Prediction: Haddad Maia in 3
Elena Rybakina vs Lesia Tsurenko
Head-to-head: Tsurenko 1-0
Elena Rybakina is suffering from a bit of a post first Grand Slam title hangover, but the Kazakh survived a tough battle in her opener against Laura Siegmund and should be prepared to face adversity by now. Lesia Tsurenko beat her in Eastbourne earlier this year, but it’s a matchup that should be mostly on Rybakina’s racket.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
