Merida Open 2025: Paula Badosa vs Daria Saville preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Paula Badosa v Daria Saville
Date: March 1st, 2025
Tournament: Merida Open Akron 2025
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Yucatan Country Club, Merida, Mexico
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize Money: $1,064,510
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - DAZN
Paula Badosa v Daria Saville preview
Paula Badosa is the tournament's second seed, and faces qualifier Daria Saville in the quarterfinal. The winner will likely meet third seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in the semifinal. Badosa's start to the year has been solid - she beat third seed Coco Gauff in straight sets in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open before losing to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinal.
She also performed well at the Dubai Tennis Championships, extending Elena Rybakina to three sets before exiting in the third round. She beat Jaqueline Cristian in the opening round in Merida for the loss of only three games.
Daria Saville has survived two qualifying rounds, defeating Ellen Paris, Varvara Lepchenko, and Marta Kostyuk in straight sets in Round One. She needed three sets to win her second-round match against Anhelina Kalinina. The World No. 121 has returned to form after dropping out of qualifying matches in Dubai, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and the Australian Open.
Paula Badosa v Daria Saville head-to-head
Paul Badosa and Daria Saville have never played on the WTA tour - so the current head-to-head is 0-0.
Paula Badosa v Daria Saville odds
Paula Badosa v Daria Saville prediction
Paula Badosa is the far higher-ranked player at No. 11. The 27-year-old Spaniard has greater recent experience playing against much better opposition. She has reached two quarterfinals in Majors (the French Open in 2021 and the US Open in 2024) and the semifinals this year in Melbourne.
30-year-old Saville's best days are perhaps behind her. 2017 was her best year—she ranked as highly as No. 20 that year and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open for the second year in a row. She also won her first and only tour title in 2017, the Connecticut Open.
Saville performed above expectations to reach this stage in Merida. She struggled in her second-round match and needed three sets to progress, so that the step up in class to face Badosa may be a step too far.
Pick: Paula Badosa to win in two sets.