Is there an upset on the cards in Germany?
After dominant victories in her opening two rounds, Ekaterina Alexandrova returns to Centre Court for quarterfinal action on Friday. The top seed is set to take on Anna Bondar of Hungary in the 2025 Hamburg Open. Bondar rallied to ensure a thrilling win in her Round of 32, before easing past Sinja Kraus of Austria in the pre-quarterfinals. However, Alexandrova will be out for blood as she aims to add a second trophy of the season into her cabinet.
Entering this tournament with a phenomenal 28-14 record in 2025, Ekaterina Alexandrova continues to be one of the most feared players on tour. With her accurate serve and fierce groundstrokes, the Russian has the ability to send shivers down the spines of the world’s best players. She has beaten the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina on more than one occasion during her WTA stint.
Bounding into the Quarters 👊
— wta (@WTA) July 17, 2025
Ekaterina Alexandrova defeats Werner in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 and secures her spot in the quarterfinals.#HamburgLadiesOpen pic.twitter.com/9ELYYoF3VO
While Alexandrova picked up a trophy at the Linz Open in February, 28-year-old Anna Bondar is searching for her first tour-level championship. A former Top-50 player, Bondar is currently ranked No. 77 in the world. She lost to Elina Svitolina in her last two Grand Slam appearances – at the 2025 French Open and Wimbledon respectively. The Hungarian has a 25-18 record in all competitions this year.
Coming out on🔝
— wta (@WTA) July 17, 2025
Anna Bondar secures her place in the quarter finals, defeating Kraus 6-3, 6-2!
#HamburgLadiesOpen pic.twitter.com/eZBokVPp78
Ekaterina Alexandrova leads the head-to-head against Anna Bondar by 1-0. They met seven years ago in the Round of 16 at Budapest. Alexandrova, seeded 8th at the time, managed to pick up a win in straight sets. As a result, Friday’s quarterfinal will be their second straight meeting on clay.
| Event | Round | Winner | Score |
| 2018 Budapest | Round of 16 | Ekaterina Alexandrova | 7-6(1) 6-4 |
| Ekaterina Alexandrova | Category | Anna Bondar |
| 0 | Grand Slams | 0 |
| 5 | WTA Singles Titles | 0 |
| 1 | WTA Doubles Titles | 2 |
| 0 | WTA-1000 Titles | 0 |
| R2 (Tokyo 2020) | Olympics Best Performance | – |
| No. 16 | Current World Ranking | No. 77 |
Ekaterina Alexandrova will use her traditional tactic of pushing her opponent out wide, before drawing a neutral ball to finish the rally. She will look to hit a high percentage of forehands against someone like Bondar. The Hungarian prefers to adopt a deep stance, from where she hits lofted top-spin shots before gradually advancing forward. She also has a deceptive drop shot, which could throw Alexandrova off-balance.
Prediction: Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets.
Alexandrova is a strong favourite in this match-up against underdog Bondar. She starts with a pre-match winning probability of around 75%, according to the money line. Here are the important odds to know about before the contest (as per BetMGM):
(According to BetMGM: BetMGM offers exclusive promo codes, bonus deals and accurate odds for users upon signing up. Use BetMGM to ace your betting game in all sports!)
(Image Credits: Susan Mullane, Imagn Images)
A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.
Read moreMy message to the readers is not to be shy to express themselves – regardless of whether it is playing, talking or writing about sport. And if you’re a fan of Roger Federer, Lionel Messi and/or Stephen Curry – I’m your guy.
We use cookies for ads and to improve your experience. By continuing on the site, you agree to our Privacy Policy. Read more about it