The five remaining Round of 16 contests are scheduled for the fourth day of the WTA Rouen Open. Top seeds Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Caroline Garcia are two of the players in action. As always, we at LWOT give our predictions and analysis for all the matches. But which players do you think will reach the quarterfinals?
WTA Rouen Day 4 Predictions
Varvara Gracheva vs Yue Yuan
Head-to-head: Gracheva 2-1 Yuan
Yuan has not had much success in the past on clay. That made her opening round victory against clay court specialist Mayar Sherif an impressive one. Gracheva won a thrilling battle 6-2 3-6 7-5 against Viktoriya Tomova to reach this stage, recovering from 4-1 down in the final set. The Frenchwoman had been struggling badly before the clay court season, making tight wins even more helpful for her confidence. She has a good chance of triumphing again at the WTA Rouen Open. Fatigue is a slight concern after her last match, but if she is near her best, Gracheva is more naturally comfortable on clay than Yuan.
Prediction: Gracheva in 2
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Arantxa Rus
Head-to-head: Rus 3-1 Pavlyuchenkova
This is a very interesting matchup. Pavlyuchenkova has played the better tennis this season and has a French Open final to her name. Yet, Rus has won all three clay court matches these two have played. Admittedly, two of these were last year, when Pavlyuchenkova was coming back from injury, but it is still a notable statistic. Rus is comfortable using spin to prolong the points and get Pavlyuchenkova on the run, which she does not like. However, the 2021 Roland-Garros runner-up has been striking the ball very well lately. With her improved mindset this season, she is capable of hitting through the Dutchwoman at the WTA Rouen Open.
Prediction: Pavlyuchenkova in 2
Clara Burel vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse
Head-to-head: First meeting
This is a difficult match for Burel, despite Ruse’s current ranking being outside the Top 100. The Romanian is very dangerous when she plays her best on clay, as she showed in her 6-2 6-1 demolition of Nao Hibino in the last round. Although Burel is a better clay court player than Hibino, the Frenchwoman was not near her best in her opening match at the WTA Rouen Open. Ruse’s formidable groundstrokes can exploit any doubts Burel currently has, which means an upset is very possible.
Prediction: Ruse in 3
Anhelina Kalinina vs Martina Trevisan
Head-to-head: Kalinina 2-0 Trevisan
Trevisan’s win against Naomi Osaka was not a major surprise, despite the name recognition of her opponent. Kalinina presents a different type of challenge for the Italian. The Ukrainian is not as powerful as Osaka, but she will not make the same number of unforced errors as the four-time Grand Slam champion. This is likely to be a close match, but Kalinina gets a slight edge at the WTA Rouen Open. Trevisan’s gritty playing style is pretty good matchup for the Kalinina. She can be patient in the rallies and choose the right moments to use her extra firepower.
Prediction: Kalinina in 3
Caroline Garcia vs Anna Karolina Schmiedlova
Head-to-head: Garcia 1-1 Schmiedlova
Garcia needed a dramatic comeback in her opening match. She trailed 3-5 0-30 in the deciding set but recovered to win 6-1 3-6 7-5. By contrast, Schmiedlova was trailing Diane Parry by a set, before the 22-year-old had to retire with an injury. It is hard to know what to expect from Garcia, as her her last match demonstrates. Schmiedlova will try to put as many balls into play as possible to extract errors from the former WTA Finals champion. Garcia’s power should have too much for her opponent at the WTA Rouen Open, but an upset is not impossible due to the No. 2 seed’s inconsistency.
Prediction: Garcia in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
