Ningbo Open 2024: Paula Badosa vs Daria Kasatkina preview, head-to-head, prediction, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (8) Paula Badosa vs (5) Daria Kasatkina
Date: October 19, 2024
Tournament: Ningbo Open 2024
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Yinzhou Tennis Center, Ningbo, China
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Hard-court
Prize Money: $922,573
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | India - Sony Sports Network | Canada - TSN
Paula Badosa vs Daria Kasatkina preview
Eighth seed Paula Badosa will take on fifth seed Daria Kasatkina in the semifinals of the Ningbo Open on Saturday.
Badosa has been constantly increasing her level in the last few months. She's had a propitious season so far by chalking up 37 wins from 54 matches, including a title-winning run at the Citi Open. She also reached the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open and the China Open, where she lost to Coco Gauff in three sets.
The Spaniard started her campaign in Ningbo by cruising past Diana Shnaider and Wang Xiyu in the first two rounds. She then outmuscled Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quarterfinals in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. Badosa has won 83% of her matches on the main tour since August.
Daria Kasatkina, meanwhile, is among the most consistent players on tour this year. Despite her ordinary performances in the majors, she's amassed 37 wins from 58 matches, including a title-winning run at the Eastbourne International. She also secured runner-up finishes in Adelaide, Abu Dhabi, Seoul, and Charleston, where she lost to Danielle Collins in the final.
The Russian entered Ningbo on the back of a third round exit in Wuhan. She started her campaign with solid wins over Katerina Siniakova and Yulia Putintseva en route to the semifinals. Kasatkina defeated the Kazakh Putintseva in three sets, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(6).
Paula Badosa vs Daria Kasatkina head-to-head
Badosa leads the head-to-head against Kasatkina 3-2. She defeated the Russian most recently in the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.
Paula Badosa vs Daria Kasatkina odds
Odds will be updated when available.
Paula Badosa vs Daria Kasatkina prediction
Paula Badosa started the year outside the top 60 in the WTA Rankings but is currently among the top 15 players in the world. She's had a great season so far and is starting to look like a serious competitior again. The Spaniard will be fancying her chances of winning her second title of the season in Ningbo this week.
Kasatkina, on the other hand, has also had a solid season this year. The Russian is through to her sixth semifinal on tour and has yet to lose at this stage this season. She grinded out a tough win against Putintseva in her last match and will be hoping to recover well for the semifinals.
While Kasatkina spent more than two-and-a-half hours on court in the last round, Badosa got the job done in 90 minutes against Haddad Maia. Fatigue may be a cause of concern for the Russian and could dampen her chances of progressing to the final. She will face an in-form Badosa, who appears to be at her peak right now and may prove to be a tough challenge in the semifinals.
Pick: Badosa to win in three-sets.