Paula Badosa vs Jelena Ostapenko Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Rome

Prediction published on 16/05/2023, 13:59  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 16/05/2023 at 15:00 in Tennis Predictions

20th seed Jelena Ostapenko faces unseeded Paula Badosa in the Italian Open last eight. The winner of this match will face either top seeded Iga Swiatek or seventh seed Elena Rybakina. Ostapenko will need to get  her first win on clay against Badosa to reach the last four. Their only previous meeting on this surface was three years ago at Roland Garros. Badosa won that in straight sets and overall leads Ostapenko 2-1 in previous meetings. The Latvian began this tournament ranked 20th in the world but is up a place in the live rankings. Beating Badosa will take her up to 17th place. Form on clay this year hasn't been great and this is her first quarter final. Two of her three matches in Rome have gone to a final set but two sets have been won to love.

Paula Badosa was ranked 35th at the start of this Italian Open. Her run to the last eight has seen the Spaniard rise 28th and a win here will take her to 26th. A seeding at Roland Garros is inevitable now and it's mainly down to her form on clay. This is her third quarter final of the year in clay court tournaments. The others came in Charlestson and Stuttgart. Badosa has already beaten the fourth seed Ons Jabeur and Marta Kostyuk who was seeded 32nd. The win over Jabeur made it three successive tournaments in which she'd beaten a top ten ranked player. Coco Gauff and Daria Kasatkina have also been beaten. Round four saw the 25-year-old taken to a final set by unseeded Karolina Muchova. The Spaniard remains in fine form though and can get the win over Ostapenko.