Former World No.12 Liudmila Samsonova has looked impressive this reach, reaching her 2nd successive Strasbourg semifinal with victories over Noskova, Parry and Badosa.
2025 ATP/ WTA Tour
ATP 500/ WTA 500
Hamburg Open/ Internationaux de Strasbourg
Selected Semifinals- 23rd May
WTA 500- Internationaux de Strasbourg
Liudmila Samsonova (8) 1.39 vs Danielle Collins 0.56
The Russian served relatively well in her round of 16 clash with 3rd seed Badosa, firing five aces and winning 65% of her first-serve points. Samsonova wore the Spaniard down, throwing in some outrageous drop-shots to test Badosa’s wobbly fitness. The big-serving Russian has enjoyed a solid- if unspectacular- season, reaching the semifinals in Adelaide and the quarterfinals at Indian Wells. She hasn’t been at her best on the clay, but she appears to have found her groove in Strasbourg, surviving a tricky draw to reach the semifinals here once again. The 2023 French Open quarterfinalist is a dangerous player with the ability to surprise anyone on her day.
The ever-fascinating Danielle Collins will be participating in her first semifinal of the season this week (she hasn’t quite managed to reach the glorious heights of last season). She has looked highly competitive during this clay-court swing, brining a 6-2 record into this final-four clash. She reached the quarters in Charleston, losing to eventual champ Jesscia Pegula in three sets. She withdrew from Stuttgart but picked up one of the biggest wins of her career in Rome, beating Swiatek in straight sets to underline her French Open dark horse status. She has an interesting week in Strasbourg, overcoming former Grand Slam champions Kenin and Radacanu in three-set affairs. She courted controversy in her round of 16 win over Radacanu, lambasting a cameraman for supposedly getting too close during a changeover. It was a typically boisterous outburst from a player who doesn’t mind playing the villain. She should feel fresh going into clash, with scheduled quarterfinal opponent Anna Kalinskaya withdrawing at the last moment. A runner-up here last season, Collins has the power to penetrate these clay-courts.
The Verdict: Samsonova to win in three sets at 4.4- Samsonova leads the head-to-head 1-0, thrashing the brash American at the 2023 Citi Open. This should be a tight clash, with both ladies showing an appreciation of these surfaces in the past. Samsonova plays a similar brand of first-strike tennis to Collins. I just think she may have an edge in this encounter. This tournament could redefine Samsonova’s season while Collins will just move merrily onto the next challenge (she should come into her own during the North American
