Madrid Open 2022: Paula Badosa vs Simona Halep preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds & pick
Match details
Fixture: (2) Paula Badosa vs Simona Halep
Date: 30 April 2022
Tournament: Madrid Open 2022
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Madrid, Spain
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor Clay
Prize money: $6,575,560
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Paula Badosa vs Simona Halep preview
Second seed Paula Badosa will take on two-time champion Simona Halep in the second round of the 2022 Madrid Open on Saturday. While Badosa eased past Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 6-0 in the first round, Halep defeated Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-3.
Over the past year, Badosa has cemented her name as one of the most consistent performers on tour. The 24-year-old kickstarted her 2022 season by winning a third career title in Sydney before registering a fourth-round finish at the Australian Open. She made a strong transition to clay last week in Stuttgart, charting a run to the semifinals.
Having made the quarterfinals or better in all of her previous four tournaments, the newly-minted World No. 2 will be keen to showcase similar form in Madrid. The WTA 1000 event marked a breakthrough of sorts for Badosa last year, when, as an unseeded player, she stormed into the last four.
@paulabadosa dispatches Kudermetova and sets up a 2R clash with Halep 
Good day at the home office 👩💻
🇪🇸 @paulabadosa dispatches Kudermetova and sets up a 2R clash with Halep 💥
#MMOPEN https://t.co/mSTKjPQLBr
Simona Halep, meanwhile, is hoping to find her best form amidst recurring injury woes. The 30-year-old won her first tournament since coming back from a physically challenging 2021 season in Adelaide earlier this year. She later exited Melbourne Park in the fourth round before embarking on a semi-final run at Indian Wells.
An injury to her thigh, however, sidelined the two-time Grand Slam champion from the WTA 1000 event in Miami. Having recuperated fully and with a new coach in Patrick Mouratoglou by her side, Simona Halep will be hoping to collect a third crown in Madrid over the next week.
The first match of a new collaboration is always special ✨
Couldn’t have asked for a better debut! @Simona_Halep https://t.co/JkTNQQQzTq
Paula Badosa vs Simona Halep head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between the pair, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Paula Badosa vs Simona Halep odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Paula Badosa vs Simona Halep prediction
Badosa and Halep are aggressive baseliners with remarkable rally tolerance. Clay is their preferred surface, hence we can expect a high-intensity contest between them.
Badosa will likely be the more aggressive of the two players and will look to use her power to breach the defense of Halep, who is one of the quickest movers on the tour.
Asked what it will be like to step on the court as the favorite against Simona Halep, Paula Badosa laughed.
“You think I’m the favorite? Pfft. Okay….”
The two will face for the 1st time in the second round of Madrid.
#MMOPEN
The serve has proven to be a weapon for the Spaniard in recent months, fetching her plenty of cheap points. But that's unlikely to happen against Halep, who is one of the best returners on the women's circuit.
With two of the top names in the sport clashing on Saturday, this second-round encounter is likely to go down to the wire.
Pick: Simona Halep to win in three sets.