It is box office Wednesday at the WTA Ostrava Open as several of the leading lights on the WTA Tour headline what should be a fascinating day of tennis. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, but who will book their spots in the quarterfinals?
WTA Ostrava Day 3 Predictions
Barbora Krejcikova vs Shelby Rogers
Head-to-head: first meeting
Barbora Krejcikova won the inaugural Tallinn Open last weekend-her first WTA title of an injury-hit season. Her record in singles competition this year (21-14) pales in comparison to her doubles record (23-5). Shelby Rogers’ form from a couple of months ago would have made her the red-hot favourite in this matchup after reaching a career-high world #30 after her run to the final in San Diego. The American was profligate and extremely error-prone in her straight-sets defeat to Ysaline Bonaventure in Tallinn. Krejcikova, meanwhile, is in top gear. The way she managed to subdue the partisan Estonian crowd to near silence against Kontaveit suggests that she may have turned a corner in singles.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
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Karolina Muchova vs Beatriz Haddad Maia
Head-to-head: first meeting
Karolina Muchova’s comeback from injury gained some momentum in Tallinn, reaching her first quarterfinal of the season before bowing out at the hands of big-hitting Kaia Kanepi. She also made the biggest leap in the rankings, moving up 35 spots to enter the top 200. She will have productive days next season if her body holds up. Injuries have derailed her 2022 season which has limited her to just 16 tour-level matches.
Her draws are only going to get tougher between now and the start of next season due to her low ranking. The Czech won’t get any sort of respite as she takes on Beatriz Haddad Maia on home turf. The Brazilian left-hander has put together a fine campaign culminating in a career-high ranking of #15. Muchova is a special talent and has the ability to mix things up and make life problematic for the Brazilian. But can she withstand the power and consistency of the in-form Haddad Maia? Unlikely.
Prediction: Haddad Maia in 3
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Iga Swiatek vs Ajla Tomljanovic
Head-to-head: Swiatek 2-0 Tomljanovic
No one has been more dominant this season than Iga Swiatek. But if recent history is anything to go by, Swiatek can be vulnerable at this time of the year, likely all the more so after her considerable efforts in 2022. Ajla Tomljanovic, for her part, is plotting a swift rise on the WTA Tour. And she is almost locked in for a seeding spot at next year’s Australian Open if she can close out the season with a few more wins.
The Aussie was one of the standout players at this year’s US Open where she reached her second successive Grand Slam quarterfinal. She is excellently poised to record another big scalp if she maintains the form she has displayed in the last month or so. Nonetheless, Swiatek has had sufficient rest time and maybe she will finally play her best tennis down the stretch.
Prediction: Swiatek in 3
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Elena Rybakina vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich
Head-to-head: Rybakina 2-0 Sasnovich
Elena Rybakina has endured a disappointing autumn. A shock first-round exit at the US Open was quickly followed by a chastening defeat in the final of Portoroz against Katerina Siniakova. She managed to return to winning ways in Ostrava, picking up a confidence-boosting win over Madison Keys in the first round. Sasnovich, for her part, also secured a big win on Tuesday as she thrashed Jelena Ostapenko 6-2 6-2. The Belarusian is excellent at absorbing pace and taking time away from her opponents. However, she cannot match Rybakina’s explosiveness and weight of shot, and that could be the difference maker.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
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Paula Badosa vs Petra Kvitova
Head-to-head: Badosa 1-1 Kvitova
Paula Badosa is the second seed in Ostrava, but she doesn’t look like the sort of player who ran roughshod over the tour in the opening few weeks of the season. The Spaniard is not even in the conversation to qualify for the season-ending championships as she occupies 12th spot in the WTA Race. Petra Kvitova, meanwhile, is playing this event on home soil for just the second time. The Czech veteran is the most decorated player on indoor hard courts in the 28-player field this week and opened up her 2022 campaign with a three-set win over fellow southpaw Bernarda Pera. Badosa is on a dreadful run of form having won once in six matches. And against a zoned-in Kvitova, another battering is on the cards.
Prediction: Kvitova in 2
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