Berlin 2022: Aryna Sabalenka vs Veronika Kudermetova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | bett1open
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Aryna Sabalenka vs Veronika Kudermetova.
Date: 14 June 2022.
Tournament: bett1open 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 32).
Venue: Berlin, Germany.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: $757,900.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Veronika Kudermetova preview
Third seed Aryna Sabalenka will square off against World No. 24 Veronika Kudermetova in the first round of the 2022 bett1open on Tuesday.
Sabalenka kicked off her grass season at the Libema Open in the Netherlands. The Belarusian easily moved past Kateryna Baindl and Arianne Hartono in the first couple of rounds, before emerging victorious in three sets from a hard-fought quarterfinal with Alison Van Uytvanck.
Sabalenka took on Shelby Rogers in the semifinals. The American started off on a strong note, but lost the plot later as the World No. 5 won 7-6 (6), 6-0 to reach her second final of the year.
Up against Ekaterina Alexandrova in the final, Sabalenka took the lead in the opening set to go 4-2 up. She was unable to handle the Russian's game after that, winning just one more game as she lost 7-5, 6-0. Nevertheless, it was a good week for her as she reached a final on grass after a period of four years.
🏆🏆
Ekaterina Alexandrova defeats Sabalenka in 's-Hertogenbosch to win her second career WTA singles title!
#LibemaOpen https://t.co/PmUg35Fhmo
Veronika Kudermetova has had a great year in not only singles, but doubles as well. She recently reached her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal in singles at the French Open. The Russian has also made it to the title round of three events in singles so far, but came up short on each occasion. However, she has won two titles in doubles.
Kudermetova also commenced her grass season at the Libema Open. After defeating Leolia Jeanjean and Anna Blinkova in the first two rounds, she scored a win over Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals before losing to compatriot Alexandrova in the semifinals.
Kudermetova teamed up with Elise Mertens to compete in the doubles and the duo made it to the final, where they lost a closely contested three-set match against Ellen Perez and Tamara Zidansek.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Veronika Kudermetova head-to-head
The two have met twice previously, with Sabalenka leading 2-0 in the head-to-head. She won their most recent encounter at the 2021 Miami Open in straight sets.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Veronika Kudermetova odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Veronika Kudermetova prediction
Both have started the grass season on a positive note and are quite good on the surface as well. Sabalenka reached the semifinals of Wimbledon last year, while Kudermetova made it to the final there, but in doubles. However, neither of them will step on the lawns of the All England Club this year as they're banned from competing.
Sabalenka has won both of their previous matches without dropping a set. This year, however, their overall results have been contrasting. While Kudermetova has been quite consistent, the Belarusian has failed to perform at a high level from week to week.
Sabalenka has also struggled with her serve throughout the season, which tends to affect other aspects of her game. Both utlize a similarly aggressive brand of tennis, looking to get the upper hand with their powerful groundstrokes. Their doubles experience has also made them quite handy at the net. The two have also teamed up to compete in doubles at this tournament.
This seems like an opportunity for Kudermetova to finally nab a win against Sabalenka. It all depends on how the Belarusian handles the pressure when things don't go her way. If she's able to fight through her recurring serving woes, she might get across the finish line, otherwise it's likely to be a win for the Russian.
Pick: Veronika Kudermetova to win in three sets.