Damien Kayat takes a look at the Cleveland Ladies Open round of 16 matches featuring Anett Kontaveit vs Caroline Garcia and Daria Kasatkina vs Caty McNally.
2021 WTA Tour
WTA 250 Series
Cleveland Ladies Open
Jacobs Pavilion, Cleveland, Ohio (Hard Outdoor)
Selected Round of 16 Matches- 25th August
Anett Kontaveit | Caroline Garcia * betting tba
Anett Kontaveit is a fierce competitor who doesn’t take a backwards step against anyone. The 25-year-old Estonian has certainly shown maturation over the past two or three years. A former Miami Open semi-finalist, Kontaveit has flexed her hardcourt muscle on various stages throughout her career. Her first Premier 5 final came at the 2018 Wuhan Open. She also reached her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at last year’s Aussie Open. But Kontaveit’s 2021 season has been a rollercoaster to say the least. She has reached two WTA 500 finals this year. However, she entered this week’s event off the back of five consecutive defeats. And things didn’t start too promisingly against Lauren Davis. She lost the first set in convincing fashion and seemed to be headed towards another ignominious defeat. But- seemingly out of nowhere- the Estonian came back and won the final two sets in double-bagel fashion. Those two sets of imperious tennis could be just what she needed to rejuvenate her somewhat flagging season.
World number 61 Caroline Garcia has been on a fairly drastic downward trajectory over the past two seasons. Lest we forget, the Frenchwoman was once ranked inside the top five in the WTA rankings. She has shown ability on all surfaces though arguably her best results have come on hard surfaces. She actually won both the Wuhan Open and China Open in 2017. But Garcia is one player who has suffered tremendously in and around the covid break. This year has been exactly the same. Her best result this year was a semi-final at the Ladies Open Lausanne. But at least she showed a bit of pluck at last week’s Cincinnati Open. She progressed through qualifying and then managed to dislodge the dangerous Sloane Stephens. I think there’s enough talent in the 27-year-old Garcia for a mid-career resurgence.
Verdict: Kontaveit in three sets
These two share the head-to-head spoils 2-2. Caroline Garcia actually won their last match in three sets at last year’s French Open. I think that the nature of Kontaveit’s comeback win over Davis is crucial. It may represent a reset point in a season beset by coaching splits and erratic form. But Garcia is a dangerous player with the court-craft to outmanoeuvre anyone. Kontaveit to win in three may be the best approach.
Daria Kasatkina 19/100 | Caty McNally 36/10
This has been a season of resurgence for the uber-talented Daria Kasatkina. The former Indian Wells finalist has emerged from the doldrums this year. She has reached four finals this year, winning the Phillip Island Trophy and the St Petersburg Trophy. Crucially, three of her finals this year have been contested on her beloved hardcourts. She seems to have regained some of the mental toughness that abandoned her over the past two seasons. She had a habit of serving copious double faults and wobbling in crucial moments. She seems to be playing better percentage tennis this year. She has been slightly underwhelming since reaching the final of San Jose, losing comfortably to Barbora Krejcikova in last week’s Cincinnati Open. But she is the top seed this week and will be looking to finetune her final US Open preparations.
19-year-old Caty McNally is currently looking to emulate Barbora Krecikova’s recent antics, making the tough transition from excellent doubles player to significant singles presence. It hasn’t proved easy for her this season: she has only won 8 WTA Tour matches this year. She lost in nail-biting fashion to Yastremska in Cincinnati last week. She was on the receiving end of some pretty unsportsmanlike behaviour from Yastremska in the closing stages of that match (though it did provide some tawdry thrills). There’s plenty to suggest that McNally should become a threat- especially on this surface. She serves bombs and can dictate the flow of points. Furthermore, her doubles skills give her the ability to mix up her game and come to the net with confidence. She just needs that one perfect week to give momentum to her singles career.
Kasatkina to win in straight sets at 52/100
This will be their first career meeting. Both of these players tend to adopt a crafty style of baseline play, floating in a generous dose of backhand slices to connect rallies. McNally will need to serve at around 70% on the first serve to remain competitive in this match. But Kasatkina is just in a different place at the moment. Kasatkina to win in straight sets at 52/100.
