Roland Garros 2021: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Tamara Zidansek preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (31) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Tamara Zidansek
Date: 10 June 2021
Tournament: Roland Garros 2021
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €17,171,108
Match timing: Not before 3 pm local time, 1 pm GMT, 9 am EST, 6.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK - ITV | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Tamara Zidansek preview
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Tamara Zidansek came through marathon three-setters in their respective quarterfinal encounters on Tuesday to book a last-four showdown at Roland Garros 2021.
Pavlyuchenkova dug deep in her match against big-hitting Kazakh Elena Rybakina to claim a 6-7(2), 6-2, 9-7 victory. The win snapped the Russian's six-game losing streak in Grand Slam quarterfinals.
Pavlyuchenkova's next opponent Tamara Zidansek is also into the last four of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.
The 23-year-old broke new ground when she became the first woman from Slovenia to reach the last eight at a Grand Slam following her victory over Sorana Cirstea.
Zidansek has gone from strength to strength in Paris and her semifinal win over Paula Badosa, the player with the most victories on clay this year, is a testament to the progress she has made recently.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Tamara Zidansek head-to-head
This will be the first career meeting between Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Tamara Zidansek, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Tamara Zidansek prediction
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova's powerful groundstrokes have been on full display during her run to the semifinals and she will once again look to take on the role of the aggressor against Zidansek.
The Russian enjoys going after her opponent's serve, a strategy that's worked well for her thus far. However, one aspect that she will need to work on before the semifinals is her breakpoint conversion rate; she won just six of 17 break points in the quarterfinals against Rybakina.
Tamara Zidansek's game is tailor-made for clay and she can present a unique set of problems for the Russian. Pavlyuchenkova will have to work hard to hit through the Slovenian, who is very quick around the court and possesses a heavy forehand that she can use both to finish points and reset rallies.
Ultimately, what could decide the match is how the two players cope during crunch situations. That's where Pavlyuchenkova's experience of playing in big matches should give her the edge.
Prediction: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to win in three sets
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