WTA Dubai Day 4 Predictions Including Coco Gauff vs Karolina Pliskova

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