There are eight more fascinating matches scheduled on the fourth day at the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships. US Open champion Coco Gauff’s contest with Karolina Pliskova is one of four predicted in this article. The other four matches in Dubai are predicted in a separate article, including Iga Swiatek vs Elina Svitolina. Which players do you think will win?
WTA Dubai Day 4 Predictions
Maria Sakkari vs Jasmine Paolini
Head-to-head: Sakkari 1-0 Paolini
Last year’s Guadalajara champion Sakkari got a welcome boost to her confidence by beating Emma Navarro in straight sets. However, Paolini is likely to be a difficult opponent. The Italian was 4-6 2-4 15-40 down to WTA Elite Trophy champion Beatriz Haddad Maia in the opening round, but since then, she has played flawless tennis to beat the Brazilian and Leylah Fernandez. Sakkari does strike the ball harder than her previous two opponents, which is a different challenge. Yet, I feel Paolini is on a roll, and that she has a good chance of knocking out Sakkari at the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships.
Prediction: Paolini in 2
Jelena Ostapenko vs Anna Kalinskaya
Head-to-head: Kalinskaya 1-0 Ostapenko
Ostapenko has won an incredible 16 matches in a row this season against all her opponents, aside from last year’s Australian Open semifinalist Victoria Azarenka, who she has lost all three matches too. Nonetheless, I think she is also set for a tough match. This year’s Australian Open quarterfinalist Kalinskaya has won all four of her matches since qualifying in straight sets at the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships and is thriving in the fast conditions. Overall, I will give Ostapenko a slight edge in a contest that will feature a lot of powerful hitting, but a Kalinskaya win would not be a surprise.
Prediction: Ostapenko in 3
Qinwen Zheng vs Anastasia Potapova
Head-to-head: Zheng 2-1 Potapova
Last year’s WTA most improved player Zheng started slowly against Nao Hibino in the opening round. She raised her game to prevail 5-7 6-2 6-2, but the Australian Open finalist cannot afford that startagainst Potapova. The Russian played great tennis to triumph against Zhu Lin and then even more comprehensively over Lucia Bronzetti in the last round. Zheng’s serve will be key in the quick conditions at the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships, but I am backing a Potapova upset. If she can get enough serves into play, her recent hitting from the baseline can rush Zheng into errors off her forehand especially.
Prediction: Potapova in 3
Coco Gauff vs Karolina Pliskova
Head-to-head: Gauff 1-1 Pliskova
Aside from her withdrawal before the semifinal in Doha last week, Pliskova has now won an incredible 11 matches in a row. Five were during her title run in Cluj-Napoca, four in Doha and now two in Dubai. Gauff played a scrappy second set against Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the last round but eventually came through. She is likely to need a better performance to prevail against Pliskova. The Czech is playing her best tennis since her Wimbledon final run in 2021. Near her best, Gauff does possess the ideal playing style for disrupting the powerful Pliskova. I will back the American to find enough of that level to triumph at the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships.
Prediction: Gauff in 2
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