The final is set in St Petersburg. Top seed Maria Sakkari takes on number two seed Anett Kontaveit in what should be a brilliant match. The pair have been the best players in this tournament and are deserving of a chance to fight it out for the title. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that these two have met twelve times in the past. They have also split those meetings six a piece, so the winner here takes the bragging rights in their head-to-head as well as the title. With that in mind, let’s get stuck in to our WTA St Petersburg Ladies Trophy final prediction.
WTA St Petersburg Ladies Trophy Final Prediction
Maria Sakkari vs Anett Kontaveit
Head-to-head: 6 – 6
It looks like we got the final most watching this tournament were hoping for when it started. Sakkari and Kontaveit are both top ten players playing some of the best tennis of their careers. Whenever players of that calibre face off for a title it’s a must-see even and I expect Sunday to be no different. Maria Sakkari is the perhaps the slight underdog given she hasn’t won a title in several years. However, the Greek has improved year on year for a decade now. Last year she showed she has the game to go deep in big tournaments. The next logical step for Sakkari now is for her to start winning them. Sakkari has all the tools necessary to win big trophies on a regular basis. Perhaps the only thing missing is the mental fortitude to do so.
By contrast, Kontaveit picked up two titles back-to-back last year. She did so as part of a twelve match win streak that saw her sneak inside the top ten and into the WTA Finals. The Estonian has long been capable of elite tennis. However, she has never been able to play at that level until recently. This final will be her third in her last six tournaments. She won the previous two and will feel confident of going the distance again here. The world #9 has immense power off both wings and is a real handful when she can keep her errors under control.
Prediction
If both of these players play to the best of their abilities this match will go the distance. Who wins it if that is the case will come down to two things. The first is how well Maria Sakkari serves, and the second is how many errors come off the Kontaveit racket. I think Sakkari looks more sure of herself than ever this year and it is only a matter of time before she starts winning big on a regular basis. Kontaveit is a real threat on any given day. However, I think the Athenian makes enough first serves and extends enough rallies to edge this one. Be ready for an epic final either way.
Predictions: Sakkari in 3
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