Damien Kayat previews the WTA Tour's Madrid Open matches between Emma Radacanuy and Anhelina Kalinina (Ro16) as well as Simona Halep and Ons Jabeur (QF).
WTA 1000
Madrid Open
Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain (Outdoor Clay)
Selected Round of 16 and Quarterfinal Matches- 3rd-4th May
Round of 16- 3rd May
Emma Radacanu 64/100 | Anhelina Kalinina 12/10
Emma Radacanu has had to learn to deal with a silly amount of scrutiny since her breakthrough performance in New York last year. I don’t know what it is about the British media that just thrives on destroying their heroes.
Radacanu became the first singles qualifier to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era, beating Leylah Fernandez in the US Open final without dropping a set in the tournament.
But she hasn’t reached a semi-final since that event and is consistently questioned about her commitment to the sport. I just personally think she’s a 19-year-old still learning to navigate the world of pro tennis.
It’s also easy to forget that she contracted Covid towards the end of 2021. Not hugely familiar with clay, Radacanu has actually impressed hugely in Madrid thus far. She had some sticky patches during her opening win against Martincova.
But she was absolutely emphatic in her round of 32 match against Marta Kostyuk, playing near flawless tennis to reach her maiden WTA 1000 round of 16 tie.
Next up for Radacanu is the draw’s current giant-killer: Anhelina Kalinina. The Ukrainian has actually been trending pretty well this year, cracking the world’s top 50 for the first time.
Kalinina has shown clay-court prowess on the tour before, reaching her first WTA final at last year’s Budapest Grand Prix. Also, the large predominance of her success at lower levels has come on clay surfaces.
But the 25-year-old seems to have come into her own in recent weeks. She took a set off Iga Swiatek at Indian Wells (we all know just how tough that has proven to be in recent times).
She was also forced to withdraw from the final 16 of Miami through injury. But she has defeated two former Grand Slam champions this week, taking down Sloane Stephens before stunning the home faithful with an absolute demolition of Garbine Muguruza.
Can she make it three Grand Slam champs in a row with victory over Radacanu?
Verdict: Kalinina to win in three at 42/10
This will be the first career meeting between these two. Radacanu was exceptional against Kostyuk, hitting 14 winners and conceding just 5 unforced errors in the match.
Kalinina also looked pretty composed against Muguruza, hitting 26 winners against the two-time Grand Slam champion. While Radacanu has looked surprisingly composed this week, I think Kalinina will have the edge in this match.
She is an experienced clay-court operator who can use Radacanu’s power against her.
Quarterfinal- 4th May
Simona Halep 42/100 | Ons Jabeur 18/10
I just knew that Simona Halep was going to be a factor this week. The two-time Madrid Open champ looks rejuvenated under the tutelage of Patrick Mouratoglou. She just seems to be enjoying her time on court.
It’s insane to think that Halep was really considering retirement not too long ago. She absolutely blasted Paula Badosa off the court before another straight-set victory against Coco Gauff.
She is yet to drop a set this week though she did need to come back from 1-4 down in the 2nd set against Gauff. That victory against Gauff took her lifetime Madrid win tally to 30. She is serving well and creating plenty of break-point opportunities on return.
Ons Jabeur celebrated Eid in terrific fashion, defeating reigning Olympic champion Belinda Bencic in three sets. This has been a brutal week for top seeds and Jabeur is now the highest seed left in this year’s Madrid Open.
The Tunisian was in amusing form in the post-match press conference, reminding the Spanish crowd that Halep beat home favourite Badosa (therefore imploring them to support her should the Romanian progress).
It’s quite crazy to think that Jabeur has still only won one WTA title. She has been ultra-consistent over the past few years and has established herself as one of the most dangerous players in any draw.
She has truly evolved as a clay-court player in recent years, reaching the final of the MUSC Health Open last year before reaching this year’s Charleston Open final.
Verdict: Halep to win in straight sets at 99/100
This will be their fourth career meeting. Halep leads the head-to-head 2-1, comfortably beating the Tunisian earlier this year in Dubai. Halep is a Madrid specialist who looks to have found a new lease on life.
I think she has a great chance at the title this year and she should comfortably see off Jabeur.
