Korea Open 2022: Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Tatjana Maria preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Ekaterina Alexandrova vs (7) Tatjana Maria.
Date: September 24, 2022.
Tournament: Korea Open 2022.
Round: Semifinal.
Venue: Seoul, South Korea.
Category: WTA 250.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $251,750.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Tatjana Maria preview
World No. 24 Ekaterina Alexandrova and 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria are set for a semifinal showdown at the 2022 Korea Open on Saturday.
Alexandrova needed three sets to get past Asia Muhammad in the first round, but eased past Han Na-lee Han in straight sets after that. She was up against qualifier Lulu Sun in the quarterfinals.
The duo struggled to hold serve in the opening set, as from 2-1 onwards there were six consecutive breaks of serve. Alexandrova bagged another break towards the end of the set to clinch it. The second set was marginally better as the two traded holds just four times.
The set eventually went into a tie-break and Sun even held a set point at 6-5. However, Alexandrova won the next three points to win the match 7-5, 7-6 (5). The Russian has now reached the semifinals of a tournament for the fourth time this year.
Tatjana Maria was put to the test by Eugenie Bouchard in the first round, but managed to edge past her in two tight sets. She had an easier time in the second round, dominating Kimberly Burell to set up a quarterfinal clash against defending champion Lin Zhu.
Maria raced to a quick 5-0 lead before her opponent finally got on board with a hold of serve. The German clinched the opening set by serving it out with ease. Lin dropped her serve in the first game of the second set, but immediately leveled the score by breaking her opponent's serve.
However, it wasn't the start of an epic comeback. Instead, Maria reeled off five games in a row to win the match 6-1, 6-1. This is her third semifinal of the year and her first since reaching this stage at Wimbledon a couple of months ago.
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Tatjana Maria head-to-head
The two never faced off on the tour prior to this, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Ekaterina Alexanderova vs Tatjana Maria odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Tatjana Maria prediction
Alexandrova's serving woes hindered her to a great extent in the quarterfinals and will need to avoid a repeat of that going forward. She coughed up eight double faults and lost serve five times, which affected other aspects of her game as well. She also found it tough to cope with the extremely windy conditions.
Maria, on the other hand, looks in dangerous form. She has dropped just five games across her last two matches and dominated her opponent in the quarterfinals. The 35-year-old knows how to mix it up, with her serve and volley tactics catching her opponents off guard at times.
Maria also utilizes the sliced shots quite effectively. Alexandrova's generally aggressive brand of tennis tends to go sideways at times. She's also known to lose matches from a winning position. The German's ability to keep the ball in play could force her opponent to commit more errors than usual, leading to her downfall.
In the end, Maria's overall consistency should be enough for her to safely sail into the next round.
Prediction: Tatjana Maria to win in three sets.