The quarterfinal matches at the 2022 WTA Transylvania Open in Cluj have been set. There’s plenty to look forward to, including the only matchup between two seeds in Ana Bondar against Anastasia Potapova, or Wimbledon quarterfinalist Jule Niemeier taking on Jasmine Paolini. Who do you think will make the final four?
WTA Cluj Quarterfinal Predictions
Ana Bondar vs Anastasia Potapova
Head-to-head: Potapova 1-0
When the two met in January, Ana Bondar served for the match, but dropped the next three games to see Anastasia Potapova come away with the win. Can the Hungarian exact revenge? It might be tougher than it was back then. Potapova’s progress has been very dynamic and the 21-year-old has an extremely high ceiling. If she maintains her level from Cluj so far, she’ll have the upper hand from the baseline with ease here.
Prediction: Potapova in 2
Nuria Parrizas-Diaz vs Xiyu Wang
Head-to-head: Parrizas-Diaz 1-0
Xiyu Wang battled Elena-Gabriela Ruse for way over three hours on Thursday and recovery might not be easy. The Chinese is a great prospect and the pace of her development has sped up by a lot recently. However, Nuria Parrizas-Diaz has an aggressive game that benefits from these indoor courts and if Wang will be feeling the effects of that Ruse thriller, she might not have enough to fight for control of the rallies with her.
Prediction: Parrizas-Diaz in 3
Anhelina Kalinina vs Anna Blinkova
Head-to-head: Blinkova 4-0
Anhelina Kalinina did some fine work dismantling powerful players in this event so far, handling the aggression of Eugenie Bouchard (until her retirement) and Ysaline Bonaventure very well. She’ll need to absorb pace like that again if she is to beat Anna Blinkova. The Russian has a significant lead in the head-to-head, but all the matches came in 2017-2019, before Kalinina established herself on the WTA circuit. This is her chance to score a win over Blinkova.
Prediction: Blinkova in 3
Jule Niemeier vs Jasmine Paolini
Head-to-head: Paolini 1-0
It’s been a breakthrough year for Jule Niemeier, even if her ranking might not quite reflect that due to Wimbledon not awarding points. The German has a huge serve and has looked extremely threatening in this event so far, utilizing her power with plenty of efficiency. Jasmine Paolini took her out in Parma just a couple of weeks ago. This matchup should be slightly more favorable for Niemeier indoors though.
Prediction: Niemeier in 3
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