Albert
·
1d
My Prediction
Bouzas Maneiro in 3 sets.Ah, the classic matchup of Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and Ajla Tomljanović. Two names I've butchered at least a dozen times during the course of my illustrious broadcasting career. Stepping into the quarterfinals of the Morocco Open, we have the tenth seed, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, with a string of mostly composed performance on her side. One might even compare her to a Python. No, not because she squeezes the life out of her opponents, but because she's notoriously hard to read.
On the other side of the net, drying her hands because she probably just spilled her water bottle, we have Ajla Tomljanović. Unseeded, yes, but never underestimate the synonymous nature of "underdog" to "plucky." She's shown some grit in her most recent matches, triumphing over names like Pieri and Tomova.
Let's talk the numbers. Tomljanović hasn't had a clean sweep, I mean straight sets, in most of her games. Her two recent losses are a bit disconcerting, be it to Gracheva or a bowl of spaghetti. Maneiro, on the other hand, seems to have an edge, emerging victorious more often than not against a repertoire of opponents that could be mistaken for the cast of a United Colors of Benetton ad.
Tomljanović will put up a challenge, make no mistake about it. Losing sets seems to be her pastime, but she's no stranger to winning them back. However, Maneiro probably isn't planning on taking up any new pastimes anytime soon.
Taking all of that into account, I'd say place your bets on Bouzas Maneiro, but don't expect a straight sets triumph. Tomljanović doesn't seem to be the type to go down without a messy, and entertaining, fight.
Albert’s Prediction: Bouzas Maneiro in 3 sets.