Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Laura Siegemund Prediction United Cup Tennis Picks 12/29/24

Beatriz Haddad Maia was surprisingly beaten by World No.175 Xinyu Gao in her opening match of the 2025 United Cup. Haddad Maia was expected to even out the tie following Qinwen Zheng's absence from Team China, but Brazil ended up losing the tie by a clean sweep 0-3.

Haddad Maia won the first set 7-5 lasting over an hour. But Gao, who battled a hamstring twinge, leveled the match at one set all.

In the decider, the Brazilian lefty took control when she got the break for a 4-3 lead, but could not consolidate in the next game as she appeared to battle a cramp.

She resorted to playing underarm serves and was broken. The late drama unfolded in the very final game as Gao broke again to seal the best win of her career. 

Laura Siegemund Preview

Laura Siegemund was part of the German team that won its maiden United Cup title 12 months ago and she played a massive role in it. 

Siegmund was selected in three doubles matches in ties against Greece, home nation Australia, and Poland. Team Germany staged three dramatic late wins over those countries including Poland in the final where they saved a match point.

This year, Germany's former WTA World No. 1 player ANgelique Kerber has retired from professional tennis and it is Siegemund who is now promoted to fill that void in singles.

The 36-year-old won 29 out of 52 matches last season. Among her best results were reaching the final in Hua Hin (where she lost to Sramkova) and the semifinal in Jiujang. 

Siegemund last competed at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals where Great Britain defeated Germany.

Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Laura Siegemund Head-To-Head

• Haddad Maia and Siegemund have met four times at all levels.

• Siegemund leads Haddad Maia 3-1 in their series.

• Their last meeting was in the BJK Cup qualifiers where Siegemund won in straight sets.

Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Laura Siegemund Prediction

Haddad Maia was cramping badly at one point during her shock defeat to Xinyu Gao and it doesn't help that she only gets a minimum of a day off before taking to the court.

The last time these two faced off was in Haddad Maia's home city in Sao Paulo where Siegemund and her German counterparts stunned Brazil in a BJK Cup qualifying match.

With mobility concerns, the last player you want to face is Siegemund, who can mix up her shots and vary the pace of the ball. Haddad Maia will need to do a lot of running to wide balls and I'm not taking any chances backing her after a three-hour match. Give me Siegemund at plus money.