Day 5 at the WTA 1000 in Madrid will feature all the third round matchups from the top half of the draw, with world #1 Aryna Sabalenka leading a star-studded field that also includes several other top players. It will certainly be another fantastic day of tennis in the Spanish capital.<\/p>\n
WTA Madrid Day 5 Predictions
\nLaura Samson vs Anna Bondar<\/p>\n
Head-to-head: first meeting<\/p>\n
Bondar has been playing great tennis lately, and she got a fantastic win over Elina Svitolina in the previous round. With the level she has been showing, she looks primed for a strong run here in Madrid and on paper she should have little issues dealing with a far lower ranked player in Samson. If Bondar can keep her level up, she will certainly advance here.
Prediction: Bondar in 2<\/p>\n
Hailey Baptiste vs Jasmine Paolini<\/p>\n
Head-to-head: Paolini 1-1 Baptiste<\/p>\n
Baptiste was one of the opponents Paolini beat en route to the Roland Garros<\/a> final in 2024, and on clay she should once again have the edge, even if the specific conditions in Madrid even things up considerably. That said, Paolini is clearly the superior player overall and should be able to advance to the next round here. Jaqueline Cristian vs Aryna Sabalenka<\/p>\n Head-to-head: Sabalenka 1-0 Cristian<\/p>\n Not only is Sabalenka the #1 player in the world, she is also a three time champion in Madrid (including last year) and on a 13-match win streak after losing the Australian Open<\/a> final. It will take a huge effort to take her down in this tournament and it doesn\u2019t look likely that Cristian can produce the level necessary to get it done. Ann Li vs Iga Swiatek<\/p>\n Head-to-head: first meeting<\/p>\n
Prediction: Paolini in 2<\/p>\n
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2<\/p>\n