18-year-old Lilli Tagger and 16-year-old Xinran Sun have both reached the semifinals of the WTA Guangzhou Open. The two teenagers can recreate history should they reach the final. Who will prevail?
WTA Guangzhou Semifinal Predictions
Harriet Dart vs Xinran Sun
Head-to-head: first meeting
This is undoubtedly Harriet Dart’s best week since the start of the season when she made a couple of ITF finals. Dart started the tournament in qualifying and has since beaten Tatiana Prozorova, Janice Tjen and Paola Badosa to reach the Guangzhou semifinals against the odds.
Home wild card Xinran Sun became the youngest player to reach a WTA-level semifinal on a hard court since 2019 (Coco Gauff). The 16-year-old saw off Claire Liu 7-5 7-6 to progress. I can’t overlook Sun in this match with the support she’s been receiving on home soil. But Dart has quietly put together some solid results in recent months. And the Briton is also more experienced at handling these pressure situations.
Aug 9, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Harriet Dart of Great Britain reacts after defeating Leylah Fernandez of Canada (not pictured) during first round play at Stade IGA. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Prediction: Dart in 2
Lilli Tagger vs Kaitlin Quevedo
Head-to-head: first meeting
Lilli Tagger continues to make her mark at WTA level. The young Austrian reached her third career semifinal thanks to an impressive comeback win over Han Shi. Tagger was a double break down in the deciding set, but won four games in a row from 2-4 down. In a week that began with an eye-catching straight-sets win over seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, Tagger now stands one win from making her second Tour-level final. Kaitlin Quevedo spent nearly two hours to defeat Jil Teichmann in straight sets. The 20-year-old Spaniard survived a few nervy moments on serve in the opening set before prevailing 7-6 6-3.
This is an intriguing semifinal. Both players won their first WTA titles this season. Tagger triumphed in Prague while Quevedo lifted the trophy in Sao Paulo a month ago. Tagger’s one-handed backhand should be a useful shot here. Quevedo is a clever mover, but Tagger’s slice and depth in her backhand give her the tactical edge.
Prediction: Tagger in 3
Main Photo Credit: Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images