2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova plays her first match in over two months on Day 4 of the WTA Madrid Open. Her contest with the dangerous Jaqueline Cristian is one of four predicted in this article. We at LWOT also predict the other WTA matches on Day 4 in Madrid, split between three other articles. One features Danielle Collins vs Olga Danilovic, the second highlights Aryna Sabalenka vs Magda Linette, and the third features Mirra Andreeva vs Linda Noskova.
WTA Madrid Day 4 Predictions
Caroline Garcia vs Xinyu Wang
Head-to-head: First meeting
Garcia had a solid run to the semifinal in Rouen last week, although her game fell apart slightly against the eventual champion Sloane Stephens. Wang’s first clay-court match of the year in the previous round was a scrappy one against Viktoriya Tomova. She is very likely to need a much better performance against Garcia, although the Frenchwoman’s level is unpredictable. The altitude in Madrid suits Garcia’s powerful game more and that makes her the favourite, but a shock is possible if Wang stays consistent.
Prediction: Garcia in 3
Daria Kasatkina vs Cristina Bucsa
Head-to-head: First meeting
Kasatkina has reached three finals this season, including a few weeks ago on the green clay in Charleston. She was unlucky to run into Jelena Ostapenko, Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins when all three were firing in those finals. Bucsa played well in front of her home fans to beat qualifier Harriet Dart in the last round, but clay is not her favourite surface. She does not possess the weapons to hurt Kasatkina, whose superb movement and consistency will wear down the Spaniard if she is anywhere close to her best.
Prediction: Kasatkina in 2
Marta Kostyuk vs Mayar Sherif
Head-to-head: Kostyuk 2-1 Sherif
Kostyuk is one of the breakout players of the season so far, with a runner-up finish in Stuttgart last week her latest achievement. Sherif is a true clay-court specialist, but she has not played many matches in 2024 due to injury. The Egyptian needs to be fully sharp and hit her forehand excellently to have a chance of overcoming Kostyuk. Unfortunately for Sherif, it is very difficult to envisage that happening with so few matches in her legs this year.
Prediction: Kostyuk in 2
Barbora Krejcikova vs Jaqueline Cristian
Head-to-head: Krejcikova 1-0 Cristian
This is a tricky first match back for Krejcikova. Cristian made the quarterfinal in Charleston a few weeks ago and has now won three matches in Madrid since the qualifying round. The Romanian is a clean ball-striker and Krejcikova’s complete style of tennis needs to be functioning well to prevail. Even a player as good as the Czech may find it difficult to adjust to Cristian’s shots after such a long time out. A combination of Krejcikova’s rustiness and Cristian’s strong form give the Romanian a strong chance of winning.
Prediction: Cristian in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
