WTA/ATP Madrid Quarter-Final Predictions: Kerber-Ivanovic, Nadal-Ferrer

1. Angelique Kerber v Ana Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic

The first two third round womens matches both went right to the wire on Wednesday, but it was Angelique Kerber and Ana Ivanovic who emerged victorious and will meet in the Madrid quarters.  Ivanovic defeated Laura Robson, 5-7 6-2 7-6(5), which was certainly a match you could not take your eyes off.  The first set was good, second set scrappy and the third was a bit of a mess; Robson got tight serving for it at 5-3 and then Ivanovic played a ridiculously bad game at 6-5 up.  Still, credit to Ivanovic for closing the match out in the end.  Kerber's win was no simpler, coming from a set and a break down for the second time this week to defeat Svetlana Kuznetsova, 3-6 6-4 7-5.  

I am really looking forward to this quarter-final because I think their games will match up well against each other.  They played for the first time in Fed Cup action a few weeks ago and by all accounts, it was an excellent match, which Ivanovic won in 2 tight sets.  I am actually going for Kerber in this one; my main thinking is that Ivanovic got so tight at the end of her match with Robson and this will be a huge, huge match for her, an excellent opportunity to make the semi-finals of a Premier Mandatory.  Ivanovic has more in her repertoire, but Kerber has a habit of edging these tight three setters and I am backing her to make the semi-finals.

Prediction - Kerber to beat Ivanovic in 3 sets

2. Rafael Nadal v David Ferrer
An all-Spaniard quarter-final and a rematch of the painful Acapulco final between Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer will take to the court on Friday.  Ferrer overcame Tommy Haas in a sizzling third rounder, 7-5 4-6 6-4, coming back from a 4-2 deficit in the decider and eventually putting a stop to a stunning run from the German.  Nadal eased past Mikhail Youzhny, 6-2 6-3 without any fuss and will go into this quarter-final as the heavy favourite.  Nadal has beaten Ferrer on clay in their last six matches and most notably, destroyed him in the Acapulco final, 6-0 6-2.  I really hope for Ferrer's sake he can at least make this competitive and come out of the match with some pride.  We know that he just does not have the belief against Nadal so I think the result is inevitable, the nature of it is still up in the air...

Prediction - Nadal to beat Ferrer in 2 sets

Best of the rest: WTA quarter-finals

Ekaterina Makarova to beat Sara Errani in 2 sets *tough one to call, Makarova appears to be zoning, but she also has the tendency to bottle it, so would not be surprised to see an Errani win in 3* 
Serena Williams to beat Anabel Medina Garrigues in 2 easy sets

Maria Sharapova to beat Kaia Kanepi in 2 sets

Best of the rest: ATP quarter-finals:
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to beat Stanislas Wawrinka in 3 sets
Kei Nishikori to beat Pablo Andujar in 2 sets