Kaitlin Quevedo meets Anna Blinkova in the WTA Sao Paulo semifinal on Saturday, September 19 at 16:00 UTC. The intrigue is simple: Blinkova owns the deeper résumé, but Quevedo has looked lighter on her feet and cleaner off the strings.
Quevedo rolls; Blinkova keeps solving puzzles
Quevedo reached her first tour-level semifinal by beating world No. 186 Teodora Kostovic 6-3, 6-4, her third straight-sets win of the week. The Spaniard has enjoyed these hard courts, using a heavy forehand to create short balls without trying to repaint every line.
Blinkova also remains unbeaten in sets here, most recently edging No. 133 Alina Charaeva 6-4, 7-5. Yet that quarterfinal required a late recovery and some mid-match repairs to her timing, after a run to the Barranquilla final left plenty of tennis in her legs.
The longer the rally, the louder Quevedo's case
Blinkova's best route is to stand in, shorten the backswing and take time away before Quevedo can load the forehand. Her tour experience matters in a first semifinal for the 20-year-old, and she won their previous meeting on clay, albeit in conditions with limited relevance here.
Still, this match can become physical quickly. Quevedo is fresher, has controlled her return games all week and can keep asking Blinkova to strike one more clean ball; at this price, that combination is generous enough to back the younger player.
Prediction: Kaitlin Quevedo to win, odds 2.295
