WTA Eastbourne Semifinal Predictions Including Maya Joint vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

It promises to be a terrific WTA Eastbourne semifinal day. Teenager Maya Joint has a chance to reach her second WTA final in as many as months against the 2021 French Open runner-up Anstasia Pavlyuchenkova. Joint’s fellow young star Alxandra Eala will play Varvara Gracheva in the other semifinal. Both contests are predicted in this article, but which players do you expect to make the final?

WTA Eastbourne Semifinal Predictions

Alexandra Eala vs Varvara Gracheva

Head-to-head: Eala 1-0 Gracheva

Both women are qualifiers who have gone all the way to the semifinal. Eala defeated Zeynep Sonmez and Hailey Baptiste in the qualifiers before victories against Lucia Bronzetti, Jelena Ostapenko (via retirement in the third set), and Dayana Yastremska. Gracheva overcame Caroline Dolehide, Viktorija Golubic, Camila Osorio, and Rebecca Sramkova. The Frenchwoman did not need to play her quarterfinal because Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova withdrew before the match started.

Eala’s best tennis has been the most impressive in Eastbourne. She lost just four games in four sets against Bronzetti and Yastremska. The Filipina did lose the opening set 0-6 against Jelena Ostapenko before working her way back into the match until the 2017 French Open winner’s retirement. Although Gracheva is quite mercurial and her best level is dangerous, Eala starts as the favorite. The 20-year-old’s game has adapted superbly to grass, and her return, already one of the best in the women’s game, should give her plenty of opportunities on Gracheva’s serve.
Prediction: Eala in 2

Maya Joint vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Head-to-head: First meeting

Joint’s main-draw route to the semifinal is the most impressive of the players. The Australian triumphed over two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur, 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu, and Anna Blinkova. Pavlyuchenkova won an epic opening-round match against Viktoriya Tomova before prevailing against Kimberly Birrell and Kamilla Rakhimova.

The most critical element of this matchup is whether Joint can adjust to Pavlyuchenkova’s groundstroke speed. Although the Russian does not possess Jabeur’s variety or Raducanu’s athleticism, she strikes the ball harder than both those players, especially off her backhand. If Joint adapts, her consistent game can expose Pavlyuchenkova’s much inferior movement. Last month’s Morocco Open champion has already shown she is an incredible talent with a terrific mentality. I think she can rise to this challenge.
Prediction: Joint in 3