Karolina Muchova vs Marie Bouzkova Prediction & Betting Tips - Cincinnati, USA

Prediction published on 18/08/2023, 06:54  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 18/08/2023 at 07:55 in Tennis Predictions

We're guaranteed an unseeded Czech player in the last four of the Western & Southern Open. Karolina Muchova faces Marie Bouzkova with the winner up against either second seeded Aryna Sabalenka or fifth seed Ons Jabeur in the last four. This is an outdoor hard court WTA 1000 tournament so lots of ranking points to be won. Roland Garros finalist Karolina Muchova was ranked 17th at the start of this Cincinnati tournament, Her run to the last eight has seen her climb to 15th which is a new career high. Beating Bouzkova will further improve her ranking position to 13th. Winning the title will make her a top ten player for the first time in her career. The 26-year-old had failed to get past the last 16 of any of the three tournaments she has played since losing to Iga Swiatek in the Roland Garros final and lost to her again in Montreal last week but again took a set off her. This is her fourth hard court quarter final of the year but she's yet to reach a last four. This tournament has seen her beat two seeded players. The first round saw her come from a set down to beat 12th seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia. Another three sets were needed to beat unseeded Petra Martic in round two. That took her into a third round match against the eighth seeded Maria Sakkari and that was also won in three sets. 

Marie Bouzkova has had two previous meetings with Muchova and is level at 1-1. This is their first match in four years and the success for Bouzkova came back in 2015. Bouzkova began this WTA 1000 event ranked 35th but is now up to 31st and that'll get her a seeding at the upcoming US Open. The 25-year-old didn't have a good hard court season at the start of this year with only three main draw matches won in eight tournaments. The last 16 was reached in Montreal earlier this month and it's gone better for her in Cincinnati, Three matches have been won with just one set dropped. That was to Elise Mertens in the second round with the middle set being lost. The last 16 saw her knock out third seed Jessica Pegula (winner in Montreal last week) 6-4 6-0. Muchova has had a better year than her opponent and we go for her to win this match.