The final four is set in St Petersburg. Top two seeds Maria Sakkari and Anett Kontaveit are joined by Irina-Camelia Begu and Jelena Ostapenko. We’ve been given quality tennis all week in Russia and that trend looks set to continue on Saturday. With that in mind, we take a look at who should make the final in this set of WTA St Petersburg Ladies Trophy predictions.
WTA St Petersburg Ladies Trophy Semifinal Predictions
Anett Kontaveit vs Jelena Ostapenko
Head-to-head: 3 – 1 Kontaveit
This should be one hell of a match. Both Ostapenko and Kontaveit are big ball strikers who are at their best playing on the front foot. The Estonian is a top ten player at the moment and a menace on hard courts. As such, she is the deserving favourite here. However, Ostapenko is a former Grand Slam champion who is very near that level once more. The Latvian has a serve that is very attackable when misfiring and that could prove the difference here. Ostapenko has more than enough firepower to hit Kontaveit off the court, but if she struggles to protect her own serve that won’t count for much. I expect three hard-fought sets in this match. If Ostapenko lands enough first serves she probably edges it. However, I think that’s unlikely given the pressure Kontaveit will apply. I suspect the Estonian will edge it here.
Predictions; Kontaveit in 3
Embed from Getty Images
Maria Sakkari vs Irina-Camelia Begu
Head-to-head: 1 – 1
I have picked against Begu in every match so far this week. Perhaps I should have given more credit to the Romanian as she is a very capable player when in full flow. However, I’m afraid I must pick against her once more here. Maria Sakkari has looked the best player in this tournament all week. I know that’s a position the Greek finds herself in all too often only to squander trophies, but I think that streak will end sooner rather than later. If she continues playing at the level she has been then she should go all the way. Her serve is a real weapon and she has great power off both wings as well as immense speed around the court. Sakkari has all the tools to be a Grand Slam champion and world #1. All she needs now is the mindset and mental fortitude to start making winning a habit. I expect her to do exactly that here and I think St Petersburg will be the first of a few big trophies for the Athenian in 2022.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
