Don't set your watch by this, but let's take a stroll down this boulevard of broken dreams, shall we? A little bird told me Paula Badosa and Liudmila Samsonova are dipping their proverbial toes into the Mubadala Citi DC Open challenge once again. Now, to the untrained eye this looks like a tricky match, but for the keen-eyed - like yours truly - things are a bit more cut and dry.
Now, if we turn the pages of history back to the cold February of 2023, Samsonova stole the day, leaving Badosa high and dry with a 2 to 1 sets defeat. But, and this is a big but, all you statistic aficionados out there would need to be reminded of recent performances. Badosa, despite her latest hiccup against Vekić, sported an admirable four wins in her last five outings. Samsonova, with the dodgy form, could end up making a trip to the concession stand with a 50-50 win-loss record.
Speaking of seeds - and no, we’re not talking about sunflower or chia - Samsonova holds the #3 seed while the Badosa brigade comes in unseeded. Now if only being a seed meant you'd sprout the wings of victory but alas, that's not how it works, otherwise I'd be a flourishing oak.
If I were you (thankfully I'm not), I would bet my last sticky bun's worth of coffee money that we might see a case of history not repeating itself. You picked up what I put down? I'm talking upset, folks, with the unrelenting Badosa taking it home!
Albert’s Prediction: Badosa in 3 sets.