Date: September 29, 2022.
Tournament: Tallinn Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Tallinn, Estonia.
Category: WTA 250.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $251,750.
Anett Kontaveit vs Tereza Martincova preview
World No. 4 Anett Kontaveit will take on Tereza Martincova in the second round of the 2022 Tallinn Open on Thursday.
Kontaveit was up against Wang Xiyu in the first round. She fell behind 4-1 in the opening set, but displayed signs of a fightback by winning two games in a row. The Estonian then served to stay in the set at 5-3 and saved three set points before her opponent was able to clinch the set on her fourth opportunity.
Kontaveit started the second set by securing a break of serve and later went on to win three games in a row to claim it. She carried this momentum into the deciding set as well. The 26-year-old broke Wang’s serve twice to lead 4-0.
Kontaveit soon stepped up to serve for the match at 5-2. She even got to match point, but a brief power outage interrupted play. She went on to lose serve. She got another chance to close out the proceedings at 5-4, but Wang was once again able to secure a break of serve to make it 5-5.
The Estonian managed to snag a break to go 6-5 up and finally wrapped things up on her third attempt to complete a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 comeback win.
Tereza Martincova commenced her run in Tallinn against Mirjam Bjorklund. The Swede snagged an early break to lead 2-0, but squandered her advantage as her opponent was able to get back on serve. The Czech got an additional break to go 5-3 up, but she was unable to hold on to her lead.
The set eventually went into a tie-break, with Martincova coming out on top to bag the opener. She was able to maintain a grip on the proceedings in the second set, breaking her opponent’s serve twice to win the match 7-6(6), 6-3.
Anett Kontaveit vs Tereza Martincova head-to-head
Kontaveit leads Martincova 2-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at last month’s Western & Southern Open in three sets.
Anett Kontaveit vs Tereza Martincova odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Anett Kontaveit vs Tereza Martincova prediction
Kontaveit has earned the moniker of “Indoor Queen” thanks to her success on indoor hardcourts over the past year, winning four titles on the surface in 2021. With the World No. 4 competing in her native Estonia, she’ll have her sights set on another trophy to please the home crowd.
Kontaveit took the scenic route to victory in the first round against Wang. At one point, she won 24 of 25 points, showing why she’s such a force to be reckoned with on these courts. However, she almost blew a huge lead in the final set, which highlights her recent struggles with form.
Martincova and Kontaveit faced off just a few weeks ago in Cincinnati. The Czech won the first set and led 3-0 in the second, but let the match slip out of her hands. She’ll have to try even harder to get the better of the Estonian in conditions that suit her game.
The last few months have been tough for Kontaveit, but she seems ready to flourish once again towards the end of the season. A little more consistency and she’ll get past Martincova with ease. But even if she’s pushed to the limits, the Estonian should be able to claim victory in the end.
Pick: Anett Kontaveit to win in three sets.
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