Roland Garros: Kiki Bertens vs Sara Errani preview, head-to-head & prediction | French Open 2020
Match details
Fixture: (5) Kiki Bertens vs Sara Errani
Date: 30 September 2020
Tournament: Roland Garros 2020
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: Approx. €38,000,000
Match timing: 11 am CEST, 2.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC Sport / Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Also check out: The Complete French Open 2020 Schedule
Kiki Bertens vs Sara Errani preview
Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens is seeded fifth at this year's French Open, and is a former semifinalist at Roland Garros. Bertens loves playing on clay and has had some of her best successes on the surface, as evidenced by her wins in Madrid and Charleston.
Ahead of this year's tournament, Bertens decided to skip the hardcourt events in the United States. She then lost in the opening rounds at both Rome and Strasbourg, before winning her first round at the French Open in three sets.
Bertens' next opponent in Paris, Sara Errani, is a former World No. 5. The Italian's favorite surface is also clay, and she reached the final at Roland Garros back in 2012.
While her troubles with her serve have been well documented, Errani is not one to give up easily. The 33-year-old, who had dropped outside the top 350 last year, reached the quarterfinals in Palermo recently and has climbed back to World No. 150.
She is set to ascend further after coming through qualifying and winning her first main draw match in a Grand Slam since the 2017 French Open.
Kiki Bertens vs Sara Errani head-to-head
Surprisingly, Sara Errani holds a 5-0 lead over Kiki Bertens in their head-to-head.
The Italian's five wins have come across all surfaces - hard, clay, carpet and grass. That said, this will be their first meeting since the 2016 Olympics, when Errani was still ranked inside the top 20.
Kiki Bertens vs Sara Errani prediction
Kiki Bertens has a stronger serve and a more powerful baseline game than her opponent. She is also currently ranked much higher than Errani.
But the Italian's game is not a good match-up for Bertens. Errani is one of the grittiest players on tour, having shown her ability to win matches even when she struggles with her serve.
Errani has won six out of eight matches since the resumption of tennis, compared to Bertens' 1-2 win-loss ratio in the same period. That, coupled with her unbeaten head-to-head record against the Dutchwoman, puts Errani on the front foot; the Italian could very well pull off an upset this time.
Prediction: Sara Errani to win in three sets.
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