We arrive in the semifinal round of the 2024 WTA Hobart International. Top seed and two-time former champion Elise Mertens remains the woman to beat, but her opponents are all very much rounding into form as well. Who do you think will make the final?
WTA Hobart Semifinal Predictions
Elise Mertens vs Daria Saville
Head-to-head: Mertens 5-2
Elise Mertens is a two-time Hobart champion from 2017-18 and while she lost in the opening round last year, she’s channeling that magic again on these courts. The Belgian was demolished by Elena Rybakina in Brisbane last week, but that happened to every opponent on the Wimbledon champion’s route to the title. Mertens has been winning comfortably here and doesn’t seem like she’s about to stop.
Daria Saville trails her 2-5 in the head-to-head and despite her love for playing on home soil, she’s actually lost to Mertens all three times they took each other on in Australia. The 29-year-old is not drawing dead at all here, but the matchup is quite tough for her in general with the opponent being such a solid player that won’t succumb to her variety.
Prediction: Mertens in 3
Yue Yuan vs Emma Navarro
Head-to-head: Navarro 2-0
Emma Navarro’s rise to World No. 31 was a bit unexpected, but the American found some huge results in the last couple of months of the year. The quality of the competition in these high-profile ITFs was still a touch weaker than on the main circuit though, so you could say that the 22-year-old had some things to prove this new season. It’s safe to say that’s out of the way now with back-to-back WTA Tour semifinals.
Yue Yuan is also enjoying a huge spike of form the past couple of months, starting from the Asian swing. The Chinese was long an underrated player with a superb shotmaking ability on the forehand side. You have to wonder if this isn’t the peak version of her game though as she’s not too athletically gifted and can struggle to get into position to find that sweet timing. Navarro is a more complete package.
Prediction: Navarro in 3
Main Photo Credit: Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports
