Wednesday, Day 4 at the 2024 WTA Brisbane International, features a full slate of intriguing match ups, including a popcorn match-up between Jelena Ostapenko and Camila Giorgi as well as a night match showcasing world No.4 Elena Rybakina in action against exciting Australian qualifier Olivia Gadecki. Who do you think will move on?
WTA Brisbane Day 4 Predictions
Jelena Ostapenko vs Camila Giorgi
Head-to-head: 2-2
Grab your popcorn as two of the WTA’s most entertaining players square off in Round 2. Both are known for their fiery on-court demeanors and the ability to play dazzling first-strike tennis. And while the head-to-head is even, the Italian’s most recent win was by retirement and before that in 2016. Ostapenko’s recent results–the best being a quarterfinal appearance at last year’s US Open–and steady rise in the rankings, have come due to improved shot-tolerance and consistency. If Giorgi is playing well, Ostapenko will need to draw on these new tools.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 2
Marta Kostyuk vs Daria Kasatkina
Head-to-head: 2-2
World No. 18 Daria Kasatkina, who struggled toward the back end of 2023 after finishing 2022 with a career-high ranking of no.8, will be looking to get 2024 off to a good start. She has prevailed over Kostyuk in their last two matches, most recently a three-set affair in Tokyo. Both are solid all-court players, with Kasatkina bringing slightly more finesse and experience to the table, but expect a third player on the court: the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kostyuk has been one of the Ukraine players who has struggled most when faced with a Russian opponent across the net.
Prediction: Kasatkina in 3
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Julia Riera
Head-to-head: first meeting
21-year-old Argentine Julia Riera, a fixture on the ITF circuit since she was 16, eased past the Belarusian journeywoman Viktoriya Tomova to move into the second round, where she will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova. It should come as no surprise that Riera’s most successful surface is clay, so she will find herself challenged by the big-hitting Russian, who hits flat and hard off both wings. Alexandrova finished 2023 at World No. 21, just off her career-high of 16; she holds four WTA titles after successfully defending the trophy at ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2023.
Prediction: Alexandrova in 2
Olivia Gadecki vs Elena Rybakina
Head-to-head: first meeting
World No. 4 Elena Rybakina kicks-off her 2024 campaign with a match against Australian qualifier Olivia Gadecki, who is coming off a hard-fought, three-set victory over compatriot Kimberly Birrell. World No. 127 Gadecki might have the home crowd behind her, but all eyes will be on Rybakina, whose 2023 season was a roller-coaster of illness and injury despite a promising start with a run to the finals of last year’s Australian Open. Fans are hoping those trials are behind Rybakina, but her first test will come in the form of Gadecki, a hard-hitting all-court player who will no doubt ask the same question.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
