Madrid Open 2023: Samsonova vs. Begu Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Madrid Open fourth-round match featuring Liudmila Samsonova vs. Irina-Camelia Begu on Monday, May 1, 2023.

Liudmila Samsonova vs. Irina-Camelia Begu Preview

Liudmila Samsonova is on the verge of reaching her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal of the season. But she faces a tough challenge against two-time Madrid Open quarterfinalist Irina-Camelia Begu. Who will prevail?

It’s rather strange that Liudmila Samsonova’s first WTA 1000 quarterfinal could actually come on caly at the 2023 Madrid Open. The Russian struggled to find her best tennis on the North American hard courts, losing early at both Indian Wells and Miami. And after an emphatic loss in Stuttgart, Samsonova knew the only way to answer her critics was to win again, and she’s done so resoundingly, beating Maryna Zanevska and Jelena Ostapenko without dropping a set.

Irina-Camelia Begu, meanwhile, notched two outstanding wins. First up she eased past resurgent Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-5 and then won a topsy-turvy first set against Shelby Rogers en route to a 7-5, 6-2. Having lost in the first round in each of her three previous visits, Begu stands one win away from reaching a third quarterfinal at the Madrid Open.

Liudmila Samsonova vs. Irina-Camelia Begu Prediction and Pick

Liudmila Samsonova and Irina-Camelia Begu have not played each other on the WTA Tour, with this fourth-round clash being their first meeting. Neither player has dropped a set so far. Begu is an accomplished performer on clay, winning over 200 matches and bagging two career titles on the surface. But Samsonova hits the bigger ball in this matchup and these fast conditions give her an extra edge. The match will be on Court 3, the same court she ruthlessly dispatched Ostapenko with her searing pace.