WTA Finals 2021: Garbine Muguruza vs Anett Kontaveit preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (6) Garbine Muguruza vs (8) Anett Kontaveit
Date: 14 November 2021
Tournament: Akron WTA Finals 2021
Round: Round robin (Group Teotihuacán)
Venue: Guadalajara, Mexico
Category: Year-ending championships
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $5,000,000
Match timing: 7.30 pm local time, 1:30 am GMT, 7 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Garbine Muguruza vs Anett Kontaveit preview
Two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza will face off against the in-form Anett Kontaveit in the final round-robin clash of Group Teotihuacán at the 2021 WTA Finals.
Muguruza kept her semifinal hopes alive with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 comeback win over Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova. A challenging third game in the deciding set, where the Spaniard needed six break points to break Krejcikova's serve, turned the tide in her favor.
Anett Kontaveit, meanwhile, continued her red-hot form with a 6-4, 6-0 beatdown of former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in just 57 minutes. The Estonian was the last player to qualify for the WTA Finals, but is the first to make it into the semifinals.
Final stats.
Another top-notch performance from Anett Kontaveit, who is now 41-2 when she wins the first set.
5th bagel set Kontaveit has dealt since the start of Cleveland (Davis, Stosur, Kvitova, Haddad Maia, Pliskova).
#AKRONWTAFinals https://t.co/eeNj4xQ37e
Kontaveit has now won 28 of her last 30 matches, including 12 on the trot. She has picked up four titles over the last two months and is a firm favorite to take home the trophy in Guadalajara.
Garbine Muguruza vs Anett Kontaveit head-to-head
Garbine Muguruza and Anett Konatveit have played each other four times before, and their head-to-head is tied 2-2. The Estonian won their most recent encounter at the Kremlin Cup last month, handing Muguruza a 6-1, 6-1 drubbing.
Garbine Muguruza vs Anett Kontaveit prediction
While Anett Kontaveit has already qualified for the semifinals, Garbine Muguruza enters this contest knowing she needs to win to have a shot at making the last four.
Both players have an aggressive style of play and like to dictate rallies from the baseline. Kontaveit has the edge in terms of second serve. She has a much steadier serve than the Spaniard, who won just 39% of her second-serve points in her previous match. A similarly poor serving display against the Estonian will result in a quick exit from the tournament.
Kontaveit is the player to beat at the moment. She's high on confidence and has built an aura of invincibility around her by stringing together a series of wins. Based on current form, she should be able to come away with yet another victory and extend her winning streak.
Prediction: Anett Kontaveit to win in straight sets.