Roland Garros 2021: Paula Badosa vs Ana Bogdan preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (33) Paula Badosa vs Ana Bogdan
Date: 4 June 2021
Tournament: Roland Garros 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red Clay
Prize money: €17,171,108
Match timing: Approx. 7 pm local time, 5 pm GMT, 1 pm EST, 10.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK - ITV | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Paula Badosa vs Ana Bogdan preview
Paula Badosa has been flying her section of the draw at Roland Garros 2021. The 33rd seed eased past Danka Kovinic on Wednesday, scoring a 6-2, 6-0 win in just 52 minutes to set up a third-round encounter against Ana Bogdan.
Badosa was in a rich vein of form coming into the claycourt Slam, having secured a first WTA title at the Serbia Open. The Spaniard also staged semifinal runs in Madrid and Charleston, registering upset wins over the likes of Belinda Bencic and Ashleigh Barty along the way.
Bogdan, on her part, has also managed to turn her year around during the clay swing. The Romanian - who has battled recurring injuries since her breakout season in 2018 - made her way to the quarterfinals in Istanbul, her first since August last year.
Bogdan has a strong all-round game that has troubled the likes of Sofia Kenin and Anastasija Sevastova in recent months. She could well ask a few questions of Badosa on Friday.
Paula Badosa vs Ana Bogdan head-to-head
Ana Bogdan leads Paula Badosa in their current head-to-head with a 1-0 margin. The only meeting between the two players came back in 2016, with the Romanian scoring a straightforward 6-4, 6-3 win.
Paula Badosa vs Ana Bogdan prediction
Paula Badosa's first major breakthrough came at last year's Roland Garros, where she reached the fourth round on the back of wins over Sloane Stephens and Jelena Ostapenko. The Spaniard's strong baseline game is tailor-made for clay, and she will enter Friday's contest as the favorite.
Badosa hasn't dropped a set in her last seven matches, and a standout feature of her incredible run has been her winning percentage behind the first serve. The 23-year-old enjoys being a frontrunner, and will step out looking to take control of the proceedings from the get-go.
Ana Bogdan possesses powerful groundstrokes of her own - especially off the backhand side - with which she can push her opponents back. But she does have the tendency to lose patience during longer rallies, and can concede a few cheap points on occasion.
There are unlikely to be too many long rallies on Friday, as both women will look to go for the winner at the first opportunity they get. Bogdan will need to ensure a good start for herself, because giving away an early lead will strengthen Badosa's grip over the match.
Prediction: Paula Badosa to win in two tight sets.
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