We are down to the final four players at the WTA 250 in Linz. No. 1 seed Mirra Andreeva is two matches away from securing her second title of the year. She will face Elena-Gabriela Ruse before Olympic Silver Medalist Donna Vekic’s contest with Anastasia Potapova. Who do you expect to reach the final?
WTA Linz Semifinal Predictions
Donna Vekic vs Anastasia Potapova
Head-to-head: Vekic 2-0 Potapova
Vekic has reached the semifinals as a qualifier. The Croatian overcame Carole Monnet, Iryna Shymanovich, Katie Volynets, and Karolina Pliskova, and received a walkover from Anhelina Kalinina. Potapova did not drop a set in victories over Shuai Zhang, Tamara Korpatsch, and Lilli Tagger.
In their previous meetings, Potapova’s lack of firepower proved an issue. Extending the rallies and getting Vekic moving is an effective strategy against her, but that needs to be done with hard enough shots. The Wimbledon semifinalist was able to consistently line up her shots and attack. I expect Vekic to do that again and reach the final, but Potapova will still provide a challenge by being gritty and determined.
Prediction: Vekic in 2
Mirra Andreeva vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse
Head-to-head: Andreeva 1-0 Ruse
Due to being the No. 1 seed, Andreeva only needed two wins to reach this stage. She achieved that against the 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens and Sorana Cirstea, who is retiring at the end of this season. Ruse fought through three tight battles against Katie Boulter, Dayana Yastremska, and Jelena Ostapenko.
All the pressure is on Andreeva here. Ruse possesses an impressive forehand that she will undoubtedly try to bring into play, but the Romanian’s overall game is much inferior to the teenager’s. Andreeva’s backhand, one of the best in women’s tennis, particularly stands out as being far superior to Ruse’s. I cannot see the pre-match underdog overcoming the talent gap in this matchup. Andreeva will only lose if she performs nowhere near her best.
Prediction: Andreeva in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images