Every round of 16 match at the WTA Charleston Open is will be played on Thursday on what promises to be an entertaining day of tennis in South Carolina. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Ons Jabeur vs Caroline Dolehide. But who will secure their spot in the last eight in Charleston?
WTA Charleston Day 4 Predictions
Paula Badosa vs Diana Shnaider
Head-to-head: first meeting
Paula Badosa continues to rack up wins in Charleston. She has never lost before the quarterfinals in South Carolina. She made the last four in her first visit in 2021, garnering a stunning win over then-world #1 Ashleigh Barty. The Spaniard has looked in fine spirits, unperturbed by her torrid start to the season. She has beaten both Mayar Sherif and Leylah Fernandez in contrasting fashion, but she looks the real deal this week.
Her opponent Diana Shnaider earned a shock win over fifth seed and former champion Veronika Kudermetova to reach the last 16. The young lefty cashed in on five of her nine break points to earn the first top-20 win of her career. Shnaider has exceeded expectations with this run and is undoubtedly one to keep an eye on in the coming months now that she is juggling studies with life on the pro tour. But Badosa has rediscovered her mojo and will have the antidote for the power-hitting teenager.
Prediction: Badosa in 2
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Julia Grabher vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Head-to-head: first meeting
Julia Grabher has won two matches thanks in part to a very kind draw. Clay is her best surface and that should not come as a surprise. But she will likely hit the buffers against Ekaterina Alexandrova. The Russian possesses enormous power off the ground that marinades so well with the green clay in Charleston. The Austrian will stay competitive given her excellence on the surface, but this will be all on Alexandrova’s racket.
Prediction: Alexandrova in 2
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Bernarda Pera vs Daria Kasatkina
Head-to-head: first meeting
Daria Kasatkina was one of those players who needed to work on a clean slate. And the clay swing offered her a fresh start. It was tough to watch the Russian toil around without any success in recent months. Kasatkina’s topspin is a devastating weapon on the dirt. She has played some of her best tennis in Charleston, winning the tournament as a teenager back in 2017. Pera’s lefty topspin is equally as effective on clay and is a perennial threat on this surface. But Kasatkina’s has a higher upside and should have enough to get past the American.
Prediction: Kasatkina in 3
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Madison Keys vs Magda Linette
Head-to-head: Keys 2-1 Linette
This should be a really good one. It’s one of those popcorn matches between seeded players just before the quarterfinal. Magda Linette scored a fine win over the in-form Varvara Gracheva in a match lasting two minutes shy of three hours. The Pole will need to rustle up in 24 hours’ time for a colossal matchup against the big-hitting Madison Keys.
The American has a stellar record in Charleston down the years. She won the tournament in 2019 and was a finalist here eight years ago. She has won 19 matches on the green clay of South Carolina and victory over Linette would be her 20th in these parts. The Pole did remarkably well at the Australian Open by neutralizing the power hitters with her depth and using it to her advantage.
Her anticipation of shots meant that she was able to dictate rallies. That approach will not work to perfection against Keys. The ninth seed looks to be in her element this week and is not going overboard with her ground strokes. And with Linette coming off a brutally, lung buster of a match, Keys will have the edge.
Prediction: Keys in 3
Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
