Cincinnati Open 2024: Aryna Sabalenka vs Liudmila Samsonova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Aryna Sabalenka vs (10) Liudmila Samsonova
Date: Saturday, August 17, 2024
Tournament: Cincinnati Open 2024
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason, Ohio, U.S.
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $3,211,715
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN+
Aryna Sabalenka vs Liudmila Samsonova preview
Third seed Aryna Sabalenka will continue her quest for a maiden Cincinnati Open crown against tenth seed Liudmila Samsonova in a cracking quarterfinals encounter on Saturday, August 17.
Sabalenka opened her campaign at the Lindner Family Tennis Center with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the second round, having received a bye in the first round. Up against Elina Svitolina in the subsequent round, Sabalenka got off to a terrific start, breaking her serve in the first game courtesy of some powerful hitting from the back of the court.
Svitolina leveled the score soon after, but another break in favor of Sabalenka in the eleventh game saw her eventually seal the set. The second set in stark contrast was extremely one-sided. Two breaks of serve and some clinical ball striking saw Sabalenka come out on top with a 7-5, 6-2 win.
Samsonova, meanwhile, kicked off her Cincinnati campaign with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Xinyu Wang in the first round. In the second round, she took on Magda Linette. The pair battled it out in an extremely tight opening set, with the Russian coming out on top 12-10 in the tie-breaker. The second set was much more routine with Samsonova breaking serve twice en route to a 7-6(10), 6-1 victory.
Samsonova took on Elina Avanesyan in the third round, and it was the latter who started the stronger, sealing the first set courtesy of some brave ball striking. However, she returned with renewed vigor in the second set, winning without dropping a single game. More of the same followed in the decider with Samsonova powering her way to an emphatic 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Liudmila Samsonova head-to-head
Liudmila Samsonova leads Aryna Sabalenka 2-1 in their head-to-head. She won their previous encounter in three-grueling sets 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-3 at the 2023 Canadian Open.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Liudmila Samsonova odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Aryna Sabalenka vs Liudmila Samsonova prediction
Aryna Sabalenka has seen a rich vein of form in Cincinnati and only looks to be getting better with every match played. She's been on fire on serve and has scarcely found herself down break points. Her blistering pace from the baseline has troubled opponents and could continue to do so if she goes on doing the same.
Liudmila Samsonova, meanwhile, started her campaign strong but was taken the distance in her previous encounter. While she was erratic in the early stages, she soon regathered herself to play some near-flawless tennis from the back of the court and at the net to seal the win. She's been hitting a heavy ball too, an aspect of her game that has paid rich dividends in the past and this week.
Each of the pair's previous encounters has been tight and we could very likely be in for another epic match between these two scintillating ball strikers. The winner could ultimately boil down to who serves better and makes early inroads first on the receiver's serve. Taking the ball early and keeping points short will also be key in this matchup.
Samsona has had a breakthrough season so far and continues to impress with her wide array of shots and skills on the court. Sabalenka, however, looks prime to go through given her recent form and the faster surfaces in Cincinnati.
Pick: Sabalenka in three sets.