Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Strasbourg match.
As the Strasbourg tournament progresses, this match brings together two aggressive baseliners — but with very different form lines and levels of readiness. Paula Badosa is still searching for rhythm after a long injury layoff, while Liudmila Samsonova is using Strasbourg as a much-needed springboard in an otherwise shaky season.
Paula Badosa
The Spaniard has barely played on clay in 2025, and her opening match in Strasbourg didn’t offer many clues — it ended prematurely after Marie Bouzková retired at 3:3 in the first set. In that short spell, Badosa landed just 47% of her first serves and won only 30% of points behind her second. Since 2023, she’s lost 7 of 10 clay matches against top-20 opposition, and she’s struggled historically against Samsonova, losing 3 of their 4 previous meetings.
Liudmila Samsonova
For Samsonova, Strasbourg has been a welcome change of pace. After early eliminations in Madrid and Rome, the Russian has found her groove here, notching solid straight-sets wins over Linda Nosková (6:1, 7:5) and Diane Parry (6:4, 6:4). Her serve has been sharp — 68% first-serve accuracy and a 70% win rate behind it. She’s comfortable in these conditions and has shown she can beat bigger names, with recent victories over Barbora Krejčíková, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Leylah Fernandez.
Paula Badosa vs Liudmila Samsonova Prediction
Badosa’s physical condition remains a major unknown, and her brief appearance against Bouzková offers little insight. Samsonova, by contrast, is delivering her best tennis of the season on courts where she already has a proven track record. Given the current dynamics, the Russian looks poised to extend her Strasbourg run and take down Badosa once again.
