Paula Badosa vs Liudmila Samsonova Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Dubai Tennis Championships

Prediction published on 18/02/2023, 13:33  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 18/02/2023 at 15:02 in Tennis Predictions

14th seeded Liudmila Samsonova takes on Paula Badosa in the Dubai Tennis Championships first round. Samsonova is 13th in the live rankings (a career high) but has to bounce back from a disappointing result in Doha. The Russian lost in the first round to unseeded Sofia Kenin, winning just four games. It's been an inconsistent start to the new year for Samsonova but she has already reached one final. That was in Abu Dhabi when winning four matches (including wins over Barbora Krejcikova and Veronika Kudermetova) before being beaten in the final by Belinda Bencic. The Russian has had two previous matches against Badosa. Both have been won, the most recent two years ago in the first round of the Australian Open. Badosa is yet to win a set against her.

Paula Badosa is 19th in the live rankings but that's way below the second place the Spanish player occupied last year. This is only her third tournament of the new year. Badosa beat Harriet Dart in the United Cup and then got to the semi-final of the second Adelaide International. Her scheduled match against Daria Kasatkina didn't take place as Badosa pulled out with a thigh injury. That caused her to miss the Australian Open but she's finally back in action this week. This is a tough comeback match for her and it's Samsonova who can get the win and set up a second round match against either Zheng Qinwen or Zhang Shuai.