Sixth seed Petra Martic takes on eighth-seeded Anastasia Potapova in the final of the 2023 Linz Open. Both women have won at least one WTA Tour title before, but have never done it off-clay. One of them will clinch her first indoor trophy at this level on Sunday. Who do you think will prevail?
Petra Martic vs Anastasia Potapova
Head-to-head: Martic 1-1 Potapova
Martic lost a tight battle to eventual champion Alycia Parks in Lyon last week, but managed to rebound quickly in her first appearance at Linz since 2013. The Croat showed some phenomenal shotmaking to dispatch Alison van Uytvanck in a thriller in the second round.
She then got the better of the talented youngster Clara Tauson and scored a huge win over the top seed, Maria Sakkari in the last four. This is the first indoor WTA Tour final of her career, her record in championship matches stands at 2-3 (won Istanbul and Lausanne).
Anastasia Potapova is also a former Istanbul champion, beating Martic on the way to her only WTA title. Her finals record is at a slightly weaker 1-3. The 21-year-old has gone to a deciding set in all of her last seven matches, including three in Lyon last week and four in Linz already.
Her most impressive wins came against Jule Niemeier and especially the second seed, Marketa Vondrousova, in the semifinals. Martic defeated Potapova in three sets at Wimbledon 2019, before the Russian got back at her in the aforementioned Istanbul clash.
Both players can fare well on all surfaces, although it seems like in theory, Potapova should benefit more from quicker conditions with her big game. However, Martic has an underrated serve and so many tools available that can disrupt the rhythm of her opponents, including a killer slice and the ability to introduce all-court tactics.
Along with all her experience, this could make her a slight favorite ahead of this one. She’s been a consistent force on the tour for years and should have at least one more WTA Tour title left in her.
Prediction: Martic in 3
Main photo credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
