Mai Hontama vs Magda Linette Prediction, WTA Chennai Quarterfinal Betting Tips

Featured Offer

bet365

Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

Claim Offer

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org #ad

The WTA Chennai quarterfinals have thrown up a genuinely compelling set of matches. You have a defending champion looking to hold her ground, a home wildcard who has captured the imagination of the local crowd, and a couple of matchups where the margins are fine enough to make picking a winner genuinely difficult. All four contests carry real stakes and real storylines, so let us get into it.

Janice Tjen vs Polina Kudermetova

These two have already faced each other very recently, and the memory of that meeting will not be a comfortable one for Kudermetova. Tjen dismantled her 6-2 6-2 in Guangzhou less than a fortnight ago, and the Indonesian has looked every bit as sharp here in Chennai. She followed up a first round win over Katherine Hui with a smooth straight sets victory against Joanna Garland, never really looking troubled. Kudermetova has not been poor either, losing only three games against Oksana Selekhmeteva in her second round match, but that was a very different test to what awaits her now.

The question is whether Kudermetova can produce a substantially improved version of herself compared to Guangzhou. She does have the ability to unsettle opponents with her baseline power, and that weapon should not be dismissed entirely. But Tjen is playing with the confidence of a champion on home turf, her control and consistency have been excellent throughout, and she has the extra motivation of defending her title. That combination is a lot to overcome, especially when you have already lost to this player so recently and so convincingly.

Robin Montgomery vs Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi

Revathi has been an absolute revelation at this tournament. The Indian wildcard knocked out eighth seed Katarzyna Kawa and then backed it up with another composed straight sets win over Weronika Falkowska to reach her first WTA quarterfinal. The crowd here have been loving every moment of it. Montgomery has also had a strong week, beating fourth seed Panna Udvardy before grinding through a difficult three set battle with Jeline Vandromme to get this far.

Revathi will have the full weight of the home support behind her, and after what she has already achieved this week, nobody should write her off lightly. Her confidence is sky high and that matters in tight moments. However, Montgomery is a step up again in terms of quality and experience at this level, and the American has already demonstrated she can cope with pressure and fight through adversity when a match gets difficult. Revathi is a danger, no question, but Montgomery’s greater experience at WTA level should prove decisive.

Anastasia Zakharova vs Lucrezia Stefanini

Stefanini leads this head to head having beaten Zakharova in Cincinnati qualifying earlier this year and also in an Australian Open qualifying round a few years back. Both players have been in outstanding form getting to this stage. Zakharova has not dropped a set all week, most recently taking apart home wildcard Vaishnavi Adkar 6-3 6-0, while Stefanini was equally authoritative in dismissing Simona Waltert 6-2 6-3. On form alone, there is very little separating them.

Where I think the difference could emerge is stylistically. Stefanini is a grinder who excels at prolonging rallies and forcing opponents into one extra ball, and that approach has a way of gradually disrupting the timing of a bigger hitter like Zakharova. The Russian has the firepower to take control of this match if she gets into her range, and in a one off contest anything can happen. But Stefanini has solved this particular puzzle twice before, she is playing with real fluency right now, and I back her to find a way through again even if it takes three sets.

Mai Hontama vs Magda Linette

Hontama and Linette met in Athens earlier this year with the Japanese player coming out on top, so she carries the head to head advantage into this quarterfinal. The routes to this stage have been rather different though. Hontama had to show real mental resilience, dropping a set in the second round against Zhibek Kulambayeva before turning things around to advance. Linette, by contrast, took the first set tightly against Moyuka Uchijima and then absolutely destroyed her in the second 6-0. When a player closes out a match with a bagel, it tends to suggest they have hit a real vein of form at the right moment.

Hontama has already shown she can live with Linette’s level and match her consistency from the back of the court, so this will not be a walkover for the Pole. But Linette’s experience, her ability to dictate play from the baseline, and the manner in which she finished her last match all point to a player who is timing her peak well this week. I think this one goes the distance but Linette’s current form gives her the edge.

Featured Offer

bet365

Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

Claim Offer

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org #ad