On finals day of the second week of the tennis season’s restart, it should be a thrilling final at the inaugural WTA Lexington, with Jil Teichmann of Switzerland and Jennifer Brady set to battle it out for the title. But who will claim the first title of the 2020 North American hard-court swing?
WTA Lexington Final
Jil Teichmann vs Jennifer Brady
Head-to-head: Teichmann 1-1 Brady
Both women have impressed in reaching the WTA Lexington final. Teichmann has lost only 22 games, with Anna Kalinskaya of Russia the only player to have taken a set off her so far in Kentucky. But Brady has been more impressive still. The American has not yet dropped a set in Lexington and has lost only 17 games. In fact, it has arguably been one of the best weeks of Brady’s career and she will surely be full of confidence heading into the final.
But it is Teichmann who will have the advantage in terms of experience. The Swiss has played in three WTA-level finals and won two titles last season, Both of those triumphs came on the European clay, but Teichmann appears to have used the break in the season caused by the coronavirus pandemic to sharpen up her hard-court game. That has paid off handsomely at the WTA Lexington. But Brady will still arguably head into the final as the favourite.
They have split their two previous meetings, both of which came on hard courts in the latter half of the 2019 season. Brady won on home turf in Cincinnati, but Teichmann avenged that defeat at the WTA 125k Open de Limoges. That suggests that this could be a closely contested final. But it is surely the American that has the edge. She has negotiated the tougher draw and seems more comfortable in the North American conditions.
The courts during the North American hard-court swing tend to favour the bigger hitters and Brady is invariably the aggressor when she takes to the court. She has the power to hit through almost any opponent off the forehand wing and, having played relatively little tennis so far this week, she should have enough energy to run round her forehand and dictate. If that does prove to be the case, expect her to have just enough to edge past the determined Teichmann.
Prediction: Brady in 3
Main photo:
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