A loaded draw at the 500-level WTA AGEL Open in Ostrava, Czech Republic is down to four players as the world’s best fight for this prestigious title. #1 seed Iga Swiatek is looking to answer her US Open title with one in Ostrava. Barbora Krejcikova is looking to raise trophies in back-t0-back weeks after winning in Tallinn. We have the preview and prediction for both Swiatek and Krejcikova’s match as we enter the weekend in Ostrava. But who will advance?
WTA Ostrava Semifinal Predictions
Iga Swiatek vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Head-to-Head: Alexandrova 1-0 Swiatek
Iga Swiatek has yet to drop a set in two matches in her first tournament since the US Open. The World no. 1 holds a career record of 24-5 on indoor hard courts and is looking to gain more momentum on the surface as she prepares for the year-end finals in Fort Worth. Her opponent, however, is one of the few players to hold the head-to-head advantage over Swiatek. Ekaterina Alexandrova bested Swiatek in straight sets back in February 2021. The 27-year-old Russian recently claimed the title in Seoul and has won eight consecutive matches. When she is knocking in her first-serve at a high clip, Alexandrova is tough to beat. With that said, Swiatek is one of the best returners in the game. I think the consistency of the world no.1 pushes her through in the big moments.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Barbora Krejcikova vs Elena Rybakina
Head-to-Head: Krejcikova 1-0 Rybakina
Barbora Krejcikova and Elena Rybakina are set to meet for the second time. Krejcikova bested Rybakina in three sets back in February of 2021. Coming off of a title in Tallinn, Krejcikova has won eight consecutive matches. She has dropped just one set during this run. Rybakina, on the other hand, has had to claw her way to this semifinal. The Wimbledon Champion has come back from a set down in two of her three matches this week. She has spent six hours and 47 minutes on the courts of Ostrava compared to three hours and six minutes for Krejcikova (she did have a second-round walkover). Krejcikova is firing on all cylinders and is playing some of her best tennis since June of 2021. The wide arsenal of ways she can end a point is separating her from the field and is how I believe she gets by Rybakina.
Prediction; Krejcikova in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
