The last singles match of the tournament is around the corner after a week of competition that’s vetted two deserving finalists to fight for the Palermo Ladies Open trophy. The first player to win a semifinal was Jil Teichmann, who is an up and coming player and has already won a clay-court title in at the 2019 Prague Open. The other finalist, Kiki Bertens, is currently the world #5 ranked singles player and 2019 Mutua Madrid Open titleholder. Teichman won her last match with little resistance and Bertens also won in straight sets but needed eight match points to close things out. With the title on the line, who will hold their nerve, play better tennis, and leave Palermo with a new title?
Palermo Ladies Open Final Prediction
Kiki Bertens vs Jil Teichmann
Head to head: 1-0 Bertens
Jil Teichmann’s lefty serve has been working well on clay this week. Not only has her serve percentage been respectable, but she has also been effective at winning points when her first serve lands in. Teichmann’s contrast from the forehand to backhand wing has also been troubling for opponents this week. Her left-handed forehand is bouncing extremely high off the court this week. She has been using that shot to her advantage against her opponents’ backhand side with great success. Meanwhile, her backhand is substantially flatter and has been a good mix-up shot to keep the competition honest.
In Kiki Bertens’ match against Paula Badosa Gibert, she was standing extremely far back on the return of serve in order to get a high percentage of balls back in play. It will be interesting to see if she takes that same approach against a lefty, or if she will look to return the ball early to cut off any potential left spin. While she may have been defensive on the return in her last match, she was serving really well and looking to be aggressive off the ground with her next shot. Despite this tactic stumbling a little bit against Badosa Gibert in the second set, she probably will not change her game plan this late in the tournament. Aggressive service games, and picking her moments on the return look to be her game plan for the final.
So Who Takes Home the Title?
These two played once at the 2015 Luxembourg Open in a match that did include a tie-break. Bertens came out on top against the then-teenage Teichmann. That was three years ago and both players have improved their games. Bertens showed some vulnerability in her last match and Teichmann has been dominant throughout the tournament. Despite that, the more experienced Bertens should be favored to win. She has been playing at a high level for a few years now and this is her best playing surface. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if Teichmann put together a great match and delivers an upset.
Prediction: Bertens in 3
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