Anhelina Kalinina vs Yulia Putintseva Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Birmingham

Prediction published on 19/06/2024, 02:25  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 19/06/2024 at 02:35 in Tennis Predictions

Anhelina Kalinina and Yulia Putintseva, both unseeded, will meet next at the Birmingham Classic this Thursday. The two will battle in the second round with the winner taking on Caroline Dolehide or Elise Mertens in the quarter-finals.

Kalinina had an easy ride as she defeated Katie Boulter in the first round. She had won the first set 6-3 before her opponent was forced to retire. The Ukrainian had lost her last two matches to close out a strong clay court campaign. On clay, she recorded two semi-final finishes in Strasbourg and Rouen.

She will hope to experience similar success on grass. Having defeated Putintseva in their only grasscourt encounter, she will be confident of progressing here. Kalinina, who is making her second appearance in Birmingham, defeated Putintseva two seasons ago in Eastbourne. Advancing to this round has bumped Kalinina up three places to 44th place in the live ranking.

Yulia Putintseva will feel she has the upper hand in this fixture. She has defeated Kalinina three times in their four encounters. Her most recent victory came earlier this year in Miami, a tournament she would proceed to the quarter-finals.

Though she isn’t a dominant grasscourt player, the Kazakh will be confident of securing victory here. Putintseva, who is returning to this event after a four-year hiatus, defeated Clara Burel in straight sets in the first round.

The win improved her record to 24-15 and moved her up one place to 40th in the live ranking. Putintseva recorded a quarter-final finish, her best result in this event, the last time she appeared here which was in 2019.