Bad Homburg Open 2023: Liudmila Samsonova vs Linda Noskova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Liudmila Samsonova vs Linda Noskova
Date: June 27, 2023
Tournament: Bad Homburg Open 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Bad Homburg, Germany
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Grass
Prize money: $259,303
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Liudmila Samsonova vs Linda Noskova preview
Second seed Liudmila Samsonova will take on World No. 45 Linda Noskova in the second round of the 2023 Bad Homburg Open on Tuesday.
Samsonova faced Viktoriya Tomova in the opening round. The Russian breezed through the first set, dropping just one game in it en route to claiming it. The second set was a bit more competitive.
Despite some resistance from Tomova, Samsonova remained in control of the proceedings. A single break of serve in the sixth game put her in the lead. She wasted a match point on her opponent's serve at 5-3, but wrapped up the match in the following game to win 6-1, 6-4.
Noskova, meanwhile, faced Kateryna Baindl in her opener. The teenager was off to a fast start as she broke her opponent's serve twice in the first set to clinch it. The Czech youngster trailed by a break twice in the second set, but managed to level the score immediately on each occasion.
Baindl then served to stay in the contest at 5-4 and saved five match points in a daring service hold. But it only delayed the inevitable. Noskova held serve in the next game to make it 6-5 and secured a break of serve in the following game to win the match 6-2, 7-5.
Liudmila Samsonova vs Linda Noskova head-to-head
The two have not crossed paths on the WTA tour prior to this, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Liudmila Samsonova vs Linda Noskova odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Liudmila Samsonova vs Linda Noskova prediction
Noskova's first-round victory over Baindl was her maiden tour-level win on grass. The teenager constantly put her opponent under pressure with her well-timed returns, going 5/14 on break points. She'll need to repeat the feat in the next round against Samsonova, who's an excellent server.
The Russian didn't drop her serve even once in the previous round and won 81% of her first-serve points to boot. Samsonova hit plenty of flashy winners, but Tomova proved to be a tough nut to crack with her defensive brand of tennis. The former eventually got over the finish line, with her serve playing a big role in her win.
Samsonova has won a title on grass and even reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2021. While Noskova is still adapting to the surface, the Russian has it all figured out, though her lack of consistency at times puts her in danger.
Noskova has the potential to make this a close contest as evident by her recent efforts on grass. However, Samsonova's experience should help her prevail in the end.
Pick: Liudmila Samsonova to win in straight sets.