Palpites para Sinja Kraus — Nikola Bartunkova

Bartunkova’s 6-4, 6-3 win over Sabalenka is a strong result, but the next match asks her to reproduce it while still playing doubles. Her first-serve percentage has been low, and Kraus has returned well in Beijing; a few more second-serve points under pressure could keep the score close.

Kraus +5.5 games is the cleaner way to back that possibility. She recovered after failing to serve out her match against Joint, then beat Yastremska 6-1, 6-4. Rettl points to her baseline strength and movement, and says hard courts suit her. Potapova’s early retirement also left her with a lighter workload.

The handicap survives a competitive straight-sets loss such as 6-4, 6-3; the total does not, since that score lands under 19.5 games. Kraus to win outright asks too much against the higher-ranked, more powerful player, and her price is beyond the limit.

The risk is plain: Kraus has been beaten heavily by stronger hard-court opponents, including Muchova and Brantmeier. Bartunkova’s bigger serve can make this a rout if Kraus cannot keep returning deep.