Four players remain in contention for the title at the 2024 WTA Rabat Grand Prix. Mayar Sherif defeated Kamilla Rakhimova in Parma last week, can she take her down again? Meanwhile, Peyton Stearns will try to turn an unlikely comeback against Lucia Bronzetti into her second WTA Tour final. Trying to stop her will be Viktoriya Tomova. Who do you think will advance?
WTA Rabat Semifinal Predictions
Kamilla Rakhimova vs Mayar Sherif
Head-to-head: Sherif 1-0
They faced each other just last week with Mayar Sherif producing a 6-3 7-5 win on the way to the final in Parma. The Egyptian always brings her best form on clay courts and has been incredible pretty much for a month now (since Madrid). You could probably argue that she might be getting a little tired by now, but it’s not like any of her matches this week have been that physical. She’s simply been too dominant to allow it.
Kamilla Rakhimova has had a bit of funky path to this stage with two early retirements. Taylor Townsend only lasted two games with her, Camilla Rosatello had to pull out after four. But the Russian made up for it with a solid win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the quarterfinals. Still, her main advantage over Sherif right now seems to be the fact that she’s fresher. Purely in terms of clay ability, it’s the Egyptian who’s pretty far ahead.
Prediction: Sherif in 2
Peyton Stearns vs Viktoriya Tomova
Head-to-head: Stearns 1-0
Peyton Stearns will be feeling like she’s been given a second life in this tournament as she found herself 0-5 match point down in the third set against Lucia Bronzetti. She managed to fight back and who knows, maybe that will help her loosen up properly now. It might sound a little unlikely that the American is waking up on clay after a horrible hard-court start to the season, but after all one of her breakthroughs was a brilliant win over Jelena Ostapenko at Roland Garros last year.
Can Viktoriya Tomova stop her? The Bulgarian will be trying to make her first WTA Tour final after losing at this stage in Bogota and Belgrade in 2021. The bad news for her is that Stearns already defeated her at the US Open last year and has a more explosive game. If the American’s heavy forehand will be firing, she’s probably going to be fine in this one.
Prediction: Stearns in 3
Main Photo Credit: Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK
