The WTA 250 event in Sao Paulo wraps up this week with a final that nobody could have scripted. Two players ranked outside the top 100 will contest the title, and while that might raise eyebrows on paper, anyone who has watched either of them this week knows the quality on show has been genuinely impressive. This one is wide open.
Podoroska carries a world ranking of 317 right now but that number tells you virtually nothing about who she actually is as a player. She reached a career high of 36 in the world, has three WTA 125 titles to her name, and when she is fit and firing she belongs comfortably inside the top 50. This week has been a reminder of exactly that, and her semifinal victory over Paula Badosa was as convincing a statement as you could make. Just reaching the final has already guaranteed her a return to the top 200, and a win on Sunday would take her to around 156 in the world. A return to the top 100 looks like a matter of when rather than whether.
Quevedo is a different story in terms of career trajectory but she has been equally impressive throughout the week. She is young, she is improving, and a gruelling win over Anna Blinkova in the semis showed she has the mentality to grind through tough matches. Even without lifting the trophy she walks away with a career high ranking of 91, and a win would put her inside the top 75 for the first time. This is clearly a player moving in the right direction.
These two have never met before, which makes reading the matchup genuinely difficult. The tennis levels look close enough that either player could win on the day. The factor I keep coming back to is experience at this level. Podoroska has won titles at WTA 125 level before and knows what it takes to close out a final. Quevedo reached her first WTA 125 final only last month in Romania and did not win it. That edge in big match experience feels meaningful when the two players are otherwise so evenly matched. Podoroska to get over the line.
Prediction: Podoroska in 3 sets
Top Casinos
Top New Bookmakers
Top Offers
Top Rated Bookmakers
Best Football Bookies
