We've got three quarter-final picks from the WTA Makarska Open today, with pleasant conditions on the Croatian coast, around 23°C and barely a cloud in the sky. Not the flashiest draw in the world, but there are some genuinely interesting matchups here. Who do you think makes the semis?
WTA Makarska Open Predictions
Andrea Lazaro Garcia vs Darja Semenistaja
Head-to-head: Garcia 1-1 Semenistaja
A split series makes this one genuinely hard to call, and neither player is far enough apart in the rankings to make it simple. Semenistaja is the higher-ranked of the two at #110, but a 30-spot gap doesn't mean much at this level on a surface that can throw up all kinds of results.
Garcia is the kind of clay-court grinder who tends to raise her level in smaller European events like this one, and I think the home-continent atmosphere gives her just enough of a boost to get through. This one almost certainly goes the distance.
Prediction: Garcia in 3
Maria Timofeeva vs Yasmine Kabbaj
Head-to-head: First meeting
Kabbaj is ranked nearly 180 spots below Timofeeva and has no real business being competitive here. Timofeeva has her issues, but against a #297-ranked opponent on clay in a quarter-final, she should have too much from the baseline, all things considered.
Prediction: Timofeeva in 2
Noma Akugue Noha vs Sara Sorribes Tormo
Head-to-head: First meeting
This one's interesting because Sorribes Tormo was once a genuine clay specialist on the main tour, grinding out wins over top-20 players with her heavy topspin and relentless retrieval. But she's down to #304 now and it feels like this run in Makarska, a relatively modest clay event by WTA standards, might be the extent of what she has right now. Noha is younger, ranked higher and has been building steadily over the past year.
That said, Sorribes Tormo's game can drag anyone into ugly, uncomfortable rallies, so I wouldn't be shocked if she takes a set. Noha gets through, but it won't be clean.
Prediction: Noha in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Ivan Terron/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire