A couple of quarter-final picks from Bad Homburg today, and there's at least one result here that could turn a few heads. Let's get into it.
WTA Bad Homburg Open Predictions
Karolina Muchova vs Clara Tauson
Head-to-head: Muchova 0-1 Tauson
Tauson leads their only meeting, but grass is a different conversation for Muchova. She's one of the more complete ball-strikers on tour and her variety is genuinely hard to deal with on this surface, where the points are shorter and good hands matter. Tauson is no slouch on grass either and deserves credit for making it this far, but Muchova at her best is a level above what Tauson has consistently shown.
The concern with Muchova is always fitness and consistency and she's had her share of shaky stretches this season. That said, when she's moving well and mixing her game, I think she's too good for Tauson over three sets.
Prediction: Muchova in 3
Emma Navarro vs Elena Gabriela Ruse
Head-to-head: Navarro 3-0 Ruse
Navarro owns this head-to-head completely, and a 3-0 record isn't a fluke. Hard to see this being close at all. But Ruse on grass is a genuinely awkward opponent because she's big, she hits flat, and the surface takes away some of Navarro's ability to grind opponents down from the baseline. Navarro hasn't been in her best form lately either, and that's worth noting.
Ruse is ranked 105th, which tells you something about her ceiling on a normal week, and you wouldn't normally back her against a top-25 player in a quarter-final. That said, the surface and the current form picture make this more interesting than the head-to-head suggests. Ruse takes it.
Prediction: Ruse in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Loic Baratoux/ZUMA Press Wire