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WTA Stuttgart Open 2021 Semifinal: Ashleigh Barty vs Elina Svitolina Preview, Head-to-Head & Prediction
The women’s clay-court tournament in Germany is closing in on its conclusion night. In the second semifinal of the WTA Stuttgart Open 2021, top seed Ashleigh Barty will battle fourth seed, Elina Svitolina.
The other two semifinalists are World No. 3 Simona Halep and World No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka. The final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2021 will take place on Sunday 25th April.
Ashleigh Barty vs Elina Svitolina: Preview
Australian World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty is showing off some of her best tennis in 2021. The 24-year-old already has two WTA titles under her belt this year, WTA 500 Melbourne and Miami Open.
Although she lost earlier than expected in the Australian Open 2021 (quarterfinals) and Adelaide International (second round), her game has become consistent than ever.
After saving match points against rival and former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, Barty reached the semifinal. She is now two matches away from the 11th WTA title of her career.
Conversely, Ukrainian World No. 5 Elina Svitolina has been unable to convert wins in big matches. In the six tournaments she has played so far, she has reached three quarterfinals and one semifinal.
Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2021 being her second semifinal this season, she will aim for glory yet again. But to reach her first WTA final of 2021, she will need to go past the top seed Ashleigh Barty.
Barty vs Svitolina: Head-to-Head
The 26-year-old Svitolina leads 5-2 in the head-to-head battle against Barty. Notably, the Aussie ace is on a two-match winning streak against the Ukrainian.
Moreover, the duo faced each other in the Miami Open 2021 semifinal, where Barty won the match convincingly. They had even played for the 2019 WTA Finals title, where the Australian triumphed 6-4, 6-3.
Read More: “Puts Us at Ease a Bit More”: Ashleigh Barty Takes COVID-19 Vaccine Through the WTA Drive
Barty vs Svitolina: Prediction
Unquestionably, the Aussie ace will come as the favorite in this match. Additionally, her versatile shots and firing forehand will pose some serious questions against Svitolina.
However, the 2019 French Open winner has an unnoticed weakness. Specifically, Barty takes a while to settle in the match but has been able to take charge in time. Thus, she will want to be at the top of her game from the start.
Accordingly, Svitolina has the mind game to put the Australian on her heels. The only challenge for her is to stay consistent with her service and concentration. But considering Barty’s form, it is hard to see her go down against Svitolina.
Above all, it is a match a tennis fan should not miss. Hopefully, the best of the two will play the final on Sunday.
Prediction: Barty to win in straight sets.
Also Read: WTA Adds Two Brand New Events to Its Tennis Calendar
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