Friday tennis acca: Last eight picks from Andorra and Buenos Aires

The quarter-finals in Andorra and at the Argentina Open are upon us as the weekend looms.

Great Britain's Heather Watson will be pushing to become the national No 1 next season and has a shot at a semi-final when she takes on Jessika Ponchet in a match of great interest.

Here, we make out picks for the quarter-finals in both Andorra and Buenos Aires.

 

WTA Andorra: Heather Watson vs Jessika Ponchet | Pick: Watson

WTA Andorra: Erika Andreeva vs Ella Seidel | Pick: Andreeva

WTA Andorra: Alize Cornet vs Clara Tauson | Pick: Tauson

WTA Andorra: Marina Bassols Ribera vs Anatasija Sevastova | Pick: Ribera

WTA Buenos Aires: Diane Parry vs Maria Carle | Pick: Parry

WTA Buenos Aires: Renata Zarazua vs Elizabeth Mandlik | Pick: Zarazua

WTA Buenos Aires: Polona Hercog vs Julia Riera | Pick: Riera

WTA Buenos Aires: Laura Pigossi vs Solana Sierra | Pick: Sierra

 

WTA Andorra: Heather Watson vs Jessika Ponchet 

Heather Watson already owns a head-to-head win over Jessika Ponchet from April of this year.

Watson should be able to repeat that feat after an excellent start to her campaign in Andorra.

Ponchet has been taken to three sets twice but prevailed, while Watson has put her opponents away in straight sets in her two matches this week.

Ponchet is ranked above Watson right now, but this could end up being a bit of a mismatch.

 

WTA Andorra: Erika Andreeva vs Ella Seidel 

Erika Andreeva has had to work hard to secure her last eight place, racking up nearly four hours on court already.

Andreeva has done well to solve problems on the fly even if she has created many of those problems herself.

If Andreeva brings her A-game, then this won't really be a contest, but Seidel will hope for early openings.

These players have never met before at any level in singles competition.

 

WTA Andorra: Alize Cornet vs Clara Tauson 

Alize Cornet might have met her match in Clara Tauson, even if the Dane is looking to pull one back in their rivalry.

Cornet won the only previous clash between the players at Tennis in the Land in 2022 but has had her struggles this week.

Cornet has struggled through a pair of three-setters to reach the last eight.

Meanwhile, Tauson has barely had to break a sweat sweeping into the quarter-finals without dropping a set.

 

WTA Andorra: Marina Bassols Ribera vs Anatasija Sevastova

Anatasija Sevastova has shown a great appetite for the battle this week, coming back to win both her matches after dropping the opening set in a tiebreak.

Ribera will need to avoid ceding any ground to Sevastova, who looks to have recaptured her top-20 confidence.

Ribera's level this week suggests that she has the ability to match Sevastova in their first-ever head-to-head meeting.

The Spaniard is out to keep her win rate this season above 50 percent and could guarantee that for another week with a win.

 

WTA Buenos Aires: Diane Parry vs Maria Carle 

Seeding has held in the top quarter of the Argentina Open draw which sees top seed Diane Parry take on No 8 seed Maria Carle.

Parry beat Carle just a few weeks ago on clay in Chile, and looks good value for the win yet again.

Parry had to come back from a set down in that clash but will want to handle matters more clinically this time around.

Carle has been a little too loose this week to consider her a threat to the top seed, although she is playing at home.

 

WTA Buenos Aires: Renata Zarazua vs Elizabeth Mandlik

The second quarter has also gone according to seeding, which sees a quality quarter-final matchup set to take place between Renata Zarazua and Elizabeth Mandlik.

Sixth seed Zarazua is arguably in slightly better form than No 3 seed Mandlik.

However, Mandlik has bounced back well from a disappointing early loss in Brazil last week to establish herself as a genuine contender.

Both players handed out a first-set bagel in their previous encounter, but when it comes to momentum something will have to give here.

 

WTA Buenos Aires: Polona Hercog vs Julia Riera 

Unseeded Polona Hercog is out to upset No 7 seed and home hope Julia Riera in the Argentina Open quarters.

Hercog has an edge of experience after more than a decade as a tour professional, but recent action suggests that she would do well to get beyond Riera.

Riera can keep alive hopes of an all-Argentine semi-final for a second week in a row on the WTA Tour.

She will, however, have to win and hope to see Solana Sierra win her last four battle.

 

WTA Buenos Aires: Laura Pigossi vs Solana Sierra 

Solana Sierra is up against it to produce another upset and keep her impressive home event run going.

Fifth-seeded Brazilian Laura Pigossi is out to make up for her misfire in Florianopolis last week.

Pigossi and Sierra have met twice before, with both of the meetings coming during the 2022 season.

Both of their meetings have been in the Billie Jean King Cup, with Sierra winning the first on a hard court while Pigossi claimed the second on clay.