Two semi-finals to preview from the WTA Athens Open today, with temperatures hitting 34°C and not a cloud in the sky. Should be brutal conditions out there, and we're curious to see how that affects both matches. Let's get into it.
WTA Athens Open Predictions
Clara Tauson vs Barbora Krejcikova
Head-to-head: Tauson 0-1 Krejcikova
Their only meeting went to Krejcikova, and while Tauson has had a solid run to the semis, this feels like a tough draw for her. Krejcikova is one of those players who can be maddeningly inconsistent for stretches and then suddenly produce a set of tennis that very few players on tour can handle. On a faster hard court she gets to use her variety well, mixing slices, angles, and the odd net approach in ways that disrupt rhythm.
Tauson has a big game and she's capable of blowing through opponents on her best days, but Krejcikova's experience and the way she mixes up pace should keep this competitive. I think this one goes the distance, but Krejcikova finds a way.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 3
Maria Sakkari vs Alina Korneeva
Head-to-head: First meeting
Sakkari playing at home in Athens is a completely different proposition. The crowd will be fully behind her and on hard courts she's still one of the more dangerous players in the 20-50 range when she's feeling it. Korneeva has had a nice tournament to get here at just 19, but the step up in conditions, heat, atmosphere, and opponent quality, is significant.
That said, Sakkari in 3 feels right just because she tends to let nerves creep in even in situations she should control, but her ball-striking on home soil usually carries her through. Hard to see Korneeva, at her first tournament of this level, making this competitive at all. Korneeva is one to watch going forward, though.
Prediction: Sakkari in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Matthieu Mirville/ZUMA Press Wire