Three quarter-final picks from Saint-Malo today, with overcast skies and a real chance of rain at 60°F making conditions heavy and slow out there on the clay. All three matches are first meetings, so there's a bit of guesswork involved, but the rankings tell an interesting story across the board. Who do you think comes through?
WTA Open 35 de Saint-Malo Predictions
Tereza Valentova vs Lilli Tagger
Head-to-head: First meeting
Valentova is the higher-ranked player here and has been a solid performer on tour this season, but Tagger has been punching above her weight on clay and the slow, damp conditions today should help her stay in rallies and grind points out. On a faster surface this wouldn't be close, but heavy clay at a smaller WTA event is exactly where a player ranked 97th can cause problems for someone in the top 50.
I think this goes the distance. Tagger's the pick in three.
Prediction: Tagger in 3
Moyuka Uchijima vs Sofia Costoulas
Head-to-head: First meeting
This is a big ranking gap on paper, with Uchijima sitting 65 spots above Costoulas, and yet Costoulas has looked genuinely dangerous on clay this year and the conditions today suit patient baseline players. Uchijima is a capable clay-court competitor, but she's had an inconsistent season and coming in as the favorite against an in-form lower-ranked player on a slow surface is a tricky spot.
Costoulas gets this one in three sets, and it won't be pretty for Uchijima.
Prediction: Costoulas in 3
Celine Naef vs Anna Blinkova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Naef is ranked outside the top 200 and Blinkova, despite a few rough patches this year, has the experience and the ranking to handle this comfortably. Hard to see this being competitive at all. The heavy conditions might take away some of Naef's pace off the ball and Blinkova is exactly the kind of consistent baseliner who can settle into a slow clay match and dictate on her own terms. That said, should Naef push her into a third, Blinkova's experience should still find a way to get through here, all things considered.
Prediction: Blinkova in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Dennis Agyeman/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire