We've got three quarter-final picks from Birmingham today, and honestly it's a wide-open section of the draw with no clear favorite across any of these matches. Grass always throws up surprises at this stage, so which of these players do you think makes it through?
WTA Lexus Birmingham Open Predictions
Alexandra Eala vs Mananchaya Sawangkaew
Head-to-head: Eala 0-1 Sawangkaew
Eala is ranked 136 places higher, but Sawangkaew has already beaten her before, and that's not nothing. On a surface like grass, ranking can be a bit misleading anyway, and Sawangkaew has clearly shown she can handle Eala's game. Eala is talented and has been one of the more exciting young players to follow this year but coming into a quarter-final as the clear favorite against someone who's beaten you isn't the most comfortable spot to be in.
Sawangkaew takes this one in three.
Prediction: Sawangkaew in 3
Taylah Preston vs Ashlyn Krueger
Head-to-head: First meeting
These two are separated by just seven ranking spots, so there's really nothing to split them on paper. Preston has been one of the more underrated grass-court movers on the WTA tour and getting to a quarter-final at Birmingham is no accident. That said, Krueger's serve tends to be a real weapon on faster surfaces and grass should bring out the best of it. I think this goes the distance and Krueger just about gets there, all things considered.
Prediction: Krueger in 3
Rebeka Masarova vs Mary Stoiana
Head-to-head: First meeting
Another match between players ranked within 15 spots of each other, and another first meeting, so there's not a lot to go on. Masarova has had some decent results on clay this year but grass, a surface that tends to expose any inconsistency in ball-striking, is a different story, and Stoiana has shown enough in getting this far to suggest she's comfortable on the surface. Feel like Stoiana's the right call here, even if it probably goes three sets.
Prediction: Stoiana in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
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