The final at the WTA Tallinn Open in the Estonian capital is set as this field of 32 has been dwindled down to just two competitors. This 250-level event has provided a lot of intrigue and some great tennis all week long. This final should not disappoint as top seed and home hope Anett Kontaveit squares off against seventh seed Barbora Krejcikova. But who will come out on top?
WTA Tallinn Final Prediction
Anett Kontaveit vs Barbora Krejcikova
Head-to-Head: Kontaveit 1-1 Krejcikova
January 14th, 2022: Krejcikova 0-6 6-4 7-6(12)
November 21st, 2021: Kontaveit 6-3 6-4
Kontaveit and Krejcikova are set to square off for the third time in their careers as they both look to add a WTA Tallinn Open title to their resume. Kontaveit is looking for her second title this season in her third appearance. Krejcikova is competing in her second final this season and is on the hunt for her first title.
Her path to this final was not as straightforward as the top seed may have originally expected. Kontaveit had to come back from a set down in her first-round match against Xiyu Wang. She cruised past Tereza Martincova 6-2 6-1 in round two before enduring a three-set quarterfinal battle against qualifier Ysaline Bonaventure. Kontaveit looked much more composed in her 6-4 6-4 semifinal victory over countrywoman Kaia Kanepi. The current world #4 has spent six hours and 29 minutes on-court this week.
Seventh seed Barbora Krejcikova did not face much resistance in her first three matches in Tallinn. She dispatched Ajla Tomljanovic, Marta Kostyuk, and Beatriz Haddad Maia all in straight sets. Her semifinal match against Belinda Bencic was not as straightforward. The 26-year-old overcame a first-set defeat to best Bencic 6-7(5) 7-6(2) 6-2 in a thrilling semifinal. Krejcikova has spent eight hours and four minutes on-court this week.
Considering the two previous match and the current form of both players, expect this final between Kontaveit and Krejcikova to be a close battle. Kontaveit has been an absolute machine on indoor hard courts in her career. She is 32-1 in her last 33 matches on the surface including having posted 24 consecutive wins over the last two seasons. Kontaveit’s power and consistency from the baseline have allowed her to dominate opponents with her impressive groundstrokes.
Although her form coming into this event was not very strong, Kontaveit used the crowd from her home country to her advantage. Across the net, Krejcikova deserves praise for her fully complete arsenal of weapons. She has won three doubles Grand Slam titles this year. Krejcikova is not afraid to follow in a powerful serve or forehand and show off her volleying skills. Through four matches this week, Krejcikova has hit 12 aces and 23 double-faults. Although lots of aces may not be necessary to beat Kontaveit, Krejcikova is certainly going to want to limit the number of second serves she hits.
The top seed will grip and rip on most second serves she faces. It is tough to predict this one as Kontaveit and Krejcikova match up very well against each other in their current form. In a match that seems more than likely to go the distance, give the slight edge to the woman that has won her last 24 matches on indoor hard courts.
Prediction: Kontaveit in 3
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
