Canadian Open 2023: Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Paula Badosa preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (11) Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Paula Badosa
Tournament: Canadian Open 2023
Round: First round (Round of 64)
Venue: Montreal, Canada
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $2,788,468
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - Sportsnet, TVA Sports | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Paula Badosa preview
World No. 13 Beatriz Haddad Maia will take on Paula Badosa in the first round of the 2023 Canadian Open.
Haddad Maia won both of her matches at the United Cup, but it wasn't enough to get Brazil out of the group stage. She then reached the quarterfinals of the Adelaide International, which was followed by a first-round exit from the Australian Open. She bounced back by making the semifinals in Abu Dhabi and the quarterfinals in Doha.
After a few underwhelming results, Haddad Maia shined during the clay swing. Following quarterfinal appearances in Stuttgart and Rome, she reached her maiden Major semifinal at the French Open. The 27-year old lost to eventual champion Iga Swiatek.
Haddad Maia's grass season ended in heartbreak. She was plagued by injuries and while she did manage to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon, she was forced to retire midway through her match against Elena Rybakina.
Meanwhile, a semifinal finish at the Adelaide International was Badosa's strongest result during the hardcourt season. After performing consistently during the clay swing, the Spaniard was expected to do well at the French Open.
Unfortunately, Badosa was forced to skip the season's second Major due to an injury. She returned to action at Wimbledon and defeated Alison Riske-Amritraj in the first round. However, an injury forced her to retire during her second-round match against Marta Kostyuk.
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Paula Badosa head-to-head
The two have split their previous couple of meetings evenly to tie the head-to-head at 1-1. Haddad Maia won their most recent encounter at the 2023 Qatar Open in straight sets.
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Paula Badosa odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Paula Badosa prediction
Badosa prefers to duke it out from the baseline, though at times her passive approach does cost her the match. She's capable of playing some aggressive tennis, that too without going for broke, but doesn't do that too often.
Haddad Maia's lefty serve gives her an edge and she's not afraid to make a few trips to the net to end the points. The southpaw's groundstrokes pack a punch and often pins her opponents way behind the baseline. If Badosa allows the Brazilian to settle into a rhythm, it could put her on the backfoot.
Both players saw their Wimbledon campaigns coming to an untimely end due to injuries. Haddad Maia's season has been comparatively better than Badosa's. Consequently, she'll be expected to prevail in this encounter.
Pick: Beatriz Haddad Maia to win in straight sets.