It’s probably safe to say this isn’t exactly the WTA Berlin Open final many people expected before the semifinals, but after Belinda Bencic mounting a stunning comeback against sixth seed Maria Sakkari and Ons Jabeur put in a masterclass of a performance against teenager Cori Gauff, we find ourselves with a final between the Tunisian world #6 and Swiss world #17. But who will come out on top in the German capital?
WTA Berlin Final Prediction
Belinda Bencic vs Ons Jabeur
Head-to-head: Bencic 2-1 Jabeur
Not only have both women played three times in the past, they’ve also played twice this year already in April and June. In their last encounter it was the Tunisian who won the match in the third set in Madrid in the round of 16 before eventually going onto claim the title. In their match just before that, the Charleston final, roles were reversed with the Swiss edging it 6-4 in the final set.
It must be said, however, that it’s unclear how much their previous matches will play a part in will happen in this Berlin final. For one, all three of their previous matches have been on the clay, and on the grass it’s a very different ball game. When you look at both their records on this surface it’s even harder to pick a winner. This is Bencic’s fifth final on the surface, but perhaps tellingly she’s only won one of those five finals. What’s even more surprising is the 25-year-old has never even made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon despite success elsewhere on grass.
On the other hand, we found out in 2021 just how good the 27-year-old is on the grass with her great win in Birmingham followed up by a quarterfinal at Wimbledon where she simply ran out of gas. Her game really is made for the surface with good movement, a solid return and serve and most importantly, variety that most women on tour can’t match or contain. With Bencic you know what you’re going to get on every surface, clean hitting which dictates play. On the grass that is effective, but the low bounce and faster speeds will give Jabeur a good chance to mix up the play, keep Bencic off-balance with her slice and approach the net to end rallies.
This match should present an entertaining contrast in styles. But it’s really hard to predict which way it is going to go. But, because this is Jabeur’s third final in her last four events and Bencic has been taken to a final set in every match this week, the Tunisian should have a slight edge. She is the fresher of the two and likely the more confident. Expect that to prove the difference.
Prediction: Jabeur in 3
Main photo:
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