By Tony Fairbairn
- Veronika Kudermetova [11] v Qinwen Zheng [22]
- Beatriz Haddad Maia [12] v Anhelina Kalinina [30]
ROME, ITALY – Veronika Kudermetova is looking to maintain her good clay court form as she takes on Qinwen Zheng in the quarter-finals of Rome.
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Veronika Kudermetova [11] v Qinwen Zheng [22] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Veronika Kudermetova [11] v Qinwen Zheng [22] | H2H: Zheng leads 1-0 |
| Rome 2023 | Rome, Italy |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €73,930 |
| Second on Center Court (Not before 12:00 BST) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
After a poor start to the season, Veronika Kudermetova has found her form on clay having reached the semi-finals last week in Madrid. Now the 11th seed has backed that up by reaching the last eight in Rome as her big baseline game has continued to cause problems for the rest of the field. Wins against Jessica Pegula, Daria Kasatkina and Anastasia Potapova has ensured that Kudermetova should be seen as one of the dark horses for Roland Garros and now the world number 12 looks to use her recent confidence to go deep in the Italian capital.
Next up for Kudermetova is one of the WTA’s fastest rising stars in the form of China’s Qinwen Zheng. Zheng made her breakthrough last year when she tested world number one Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros and since then has made a surge into the world’s top 20. Although the 20 year-old has struggled to find some consistency this season, Zheng will be hoping that three wins in a row in Rome will be the confidence boost she needs to make big moves in the second half of the season.
Kudermetova will look to use the right balance between power and depth to consistently put Zheng under pressure in uncomfortable positions on the court. Meanwhile Zheng will look to use her defensive qualities and agility to counter-attack Kudermetova’s attacking power. This will be a good contest between two players who feel comfortable on clay but Kudermetova’s recent form and confidence gives her the slight edge heading into this match.
Prediction: Kudermetova in three sets.
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Beatriz Haddad Maia [12] v Anhelina Kalinina [30] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Beatriz Haddad Maia [12] v Anhelina Kalinina [30] | H2H: Kalinina leads 3-0 |
| Rome 2023 | Rome, Italy |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €73,930 |
| Fourth on Center Court (Not before 18:00 BST) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Beatriz Haddad Maia has found it difficult to adapt to expectations and pressure this season after 2022 saw her rise to inside the world’s top 15. However the Brazilian’s doubles success with Victoria Azarenka in Madrid has given her the confidence boost needed to improve her singles performances as she finds herself in the Rome quarter-finals. Now with her draw fairly wide open, Haddad Maia is looking to take advantage and go all the way in Rome ahead of Roland Garros.
Standing in Haddad Maia’s way is Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina who has produced stunning performances over Sofia Kenin and Madison Keys to reach the last eight in Rome. After four losses in a row Kalinina has gained confidence with three wins in Italy and knows that on her day, the crafty Ukrainian can defeat anyone on the tour. A deep run in Rome will boost Kalinina’s ranking and will give her a chance of being seeded in Paris in a couple of weeks time.
Haddad Maia will look to be aggressive against Kalinina’s defensive skills with the Brazilian’s serve being the key to victory. Kalinina will look to be crafty and use her variety of shots to construct points effectively and catch Haddad Maia by surprise. This is a big match for both players so expect a lot of tense moments but Kalinina should edge to victory given how well she can play in the latter stages of tournaments.
Prediction: Kalinina in three sets.
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