We are into the semifinals at the WTA Merida Open as four unlikely competitors have outlasted the 32-woman draw to make it to the weekend. Just one of the eight-seeded players that started the week in Merida remains. No. 4 seed Katerina Siniakova will take on Camila Giorgi in one semifinal as Caty McNally and Rebecca Peterson square off in the second semifinal. We at LWOT have the preview and prediction for both matches, but who will advance?
WTA Merida Semifinal Predictions
Caty McNally vs Rebecca Peterson
Head-to-head: McNally 1-0 Peterson
Caty McNally and Rebecca Peterson are set to square off in a semifinal battle that not many predicted at the start of the week. McNally, current world No. 92, and Peterson, current world No. 140, had impressive wins to reach the WTA Merida semifinals. The 21-year-old American is looking to reach her first career tour-level title and has the form to do so. McNally has found confidence in her singles game and has been able to reign in her powerful groundstrokes in Merida. Peterson is also playing terrific tennis, holding a 9-1 record in February. This should be a very back-and-forth contest, but I give the slight advantage to Peterson, who has much more experience at this stage of a WTA event.
Prediction: Peterson in 3
Camila Giorgi vs Katerina Siniakova
Head-to-head: Giorgi 2-1 Siniakova
Although Camila Giorgi has had an up-and-down start to the 2023 season, her aggressive play style has paid dividends in Merida. Giorgi is coming off a quarterfinal win where she took down Sloane Stephens 6-0 6-0. She is striking the ball cleanly and should feel confident heading into this semifinal encounter against Katerina Siniakova. The 26-year-old Czech native is starting to find her rhythm in her first event since the Australian Open. Siniakova puts a lot of pressure on her opponent’s serve and could bother Giorgi into some unforced errors. That said, when Giorgi is striking the ball as she has been this week, she is one of the world’s most dangerous hard-court players. I like her chances to reach her first final since August 2021.
Prediction: Giorgi in 3
Main photo credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
