We’re at the penultimate stage at the WTA 250 in Strasbourg and the semis are loaded with potential blockbusters. Can Madison unlock the keys to the final and who will prevail in the other semifinal that promises to be close? We at LWOT offer our predictions.
WTA Strasbourg Semifinal Predictions
Marketa Vondrousova vs Anhelina Kalinina
Head–to–Head: Vondrousova 1 vs 1 Kalinina
World #6 Marketa Vondrousova staged a comeback win against Magdalena Frech on Wednesday, conceding just one game after dropping the first set. The 24-year-old finished runner-up at Roland-Garros in 2019 to prove her mettle on clay but she is up against a player who thrives on the dirt.
Anhelina Kalinina is better than her current deflated WTA ranking suggests, particularly on her preferred clay, and she proved that with a three-set upset over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round on Sunday. The 27-year-old defeated Fiona Ferro on Wednesday after dropping a set, but she will pose a stern challenge in her third encounter with Vondrousova, whom she beat from a set down at the Beijing Masters last October.
This promises to be a closely contested encounter, especially in a battle of debutants but I’ll back the Ukrainian to grind out another upset in Strasbourg.
Prediction: Kalinina in 3
Madison Keys vs Liudmila Samsonova
Head–to–Head: Keys 3 vs 1 Samsonova
Madison Keys has sustained her excellent form in this year’s clay swing, picking up a ninth win on the surface with a dominant defeat of Magda Linette in the previous round. She won an impressive 76% first-serve points and was not broken for the entire contest.
Samsonova, meanwhile, seems to have found her rhythm with three wins on the bounce to reach her first semifinal since February. The big-serving Russian has upped her level in Strasbourg and if she can replicate her quarterfinal against Beatriz Haddad Maia, this promises to be value for money for the fans.
Both are in great form currently, but no one has managed to defeat the American in two months other than Iga Swiatek. Keys is the better player on clay, and this is her match to lose.
Prediction: Keys in 2
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
