Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Anett Kontaveit Prediction & Betting Tips - Moscow, Russia

Prediction published on 23/10/2021, 11:14  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 23/10/2021 at 12:14 in Tennis Predictions

Another week and plenty of shocks leading us to an unexpected final. Wild card and ninth seed Anett Kontaveit takes on unseeded Ekaterina Alexandrova in Sunday's final. Kontaveit hadn't been due to play this tournament but was then given a wild card and she's made the most of it. The Estonian began the week ranked 20th in the world and has won over a million dollars in prize money this year. A win in the Kremlin Cup final will be her third title of the year. Her two other successes came in Ostrava last month and Cleveland in August. A title here will mean tournament wins in three successive months. Wins this wee have come against Katerina Sianakova, Andrea Petkovic and then in the quarter finals, a win over second seeded Garbine Muguruza, losing just two games. It was a bit tougher in the last four as Kontaveit beat Marketa Vondrousova, but she's got to the final without losing a set.

Ekaterina Alexsandrova began the week 37th in the rankings. She's bidding to make if five wins in the last seven years for Russian players in the Kemlin Cup. This is the first time she's reached at least the last eight of a tournament since a grass court event in Berlin four months ago. While Kontaveit won the Ostrava tournament, Alexsandrova lost in the qualifying rounds. Her best 2021 performance before this week was back in February, when reaching the semi-finals of the Gippsland Trophy in Australia, when beating Simona Halep and Iga Swiatek. This is her first tournament since that loss in Ostrava. Victories have come against fifth seeded Ons Jabeur (first set won 6-1 and Jabeur retired after one game of the second), Anhelia Kalinina, top seeded Aryna Sabalenka and then Maria Sakkari who retired when 4-1 down in the first set. She's had one previous match against Kontaveit and that was in Ostrava last year, losing in three sets. Kontaveit is in top form and can win a third title in as many months and boost her chances of making the Tour Finals, especially now Ashleigh Barty won't be taking part.