Thailand Open 2023: Bianca Andreescu vs Lesia Tsurenko preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Bianca Andreescu vs Lesia Tsurenko.
Tournament: Thailand Open 2023.
Round: Semifinals.
Venue: True Arena Hua Hin, Thailand.
Date: February 4, 2023.
Category: WTA 250.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $259,303.
Match timing: Approx. 6.30 pm local time, 11.30 am GMT, 5 pm IST, 6.30 am EST.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Bianca Andreescu vs Lesia Tsurenko preview
Top seed Bianca Andreescu will aim for a spot in the final of the Thailand Open when she takes on World No. 136 Lesia Tsurenko in a last-four clash at Hua Hin on Saturday.
The former US Open champion had a disappointing start to the season, winning just one match in each of her first couple of tournaments. Andreescu has rebounded in sterling fashion this week in Thailand and is just two wins away from winning her first title of the year.
The Canadian has posted straight-sets wins over each of Harriet Dart, Anastasia Zakharova and fifth seed Marta Kostyuk to make it into the semifinals of the WTA 250 event.
The quarterfinal showdown with Kostyuk was deemed to be a tough challenge for the 22-year-old and rightly so. Andreescu was cruising at 6-0, 5-1, but Kostyuk came storming back into the match, winning the next five games and saving three match points in the process.
The set ultimately headed into the tie-break, where the Canadian finally wrapped up proceedings with a 6-0, 7-6 (3) win.
This will be Andreescu's first trip to a tour-level semifinal since a runner-up finish to Caroline Garcia at Bad Homburg last June.
Ukrainian veteran Lesia Tsurenko, meanwhile, has been a quarterfinalist at the 2018 US Open. The 33-year-old has four singles titles to her name, last winning the 2018 Mexican Open.
The former World No. 23 has struggled for form and consistency over the last few seasons, partly due to a recurring elbow injury. Consequently, her big results have been few and far between. Last year, the Ukrainian made it to the Eastbourne quarterfinals as a qualifier before making the last eight at Budapest and Portoroz.
The World No. 136 began the 2023 season with a run to the semifinals of the ITF $60,000 event in Canberra. She then qualified for the Australian Open, where she bowed out to Karolina Muchova in the first round.
Tsurenko is back in the reckoning this week with a few gritty wins. After three-set wins over Ysaline Bonaventure and fourth seed Anna Kalinskaya, Tsurenko thumped sixth seed Tatjana Maria 6-1, 6-1.
Tsurenko is thus back in a tour-level semifinal since losing in the final to Karolina Pliskova in Brisbane in 2019.
Bianca Andreescu vs Lesia Tsurenko head-to-head
Andreescu and Tsurenko have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head currently stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Bianca Andreescu vs Lesia Tsurenko odds
(Odds will be updated once they are available)
Bianca Andreescu vs Lesia Tsurenko prediction
Although Andreescu comes into this contest as the favorite given her credentials, she cannot afford to take Tsurenko lightly.
The Ukrainian could be a threat on hardcourt when she is on song. An explosive hitter, Tsurenko likes to dictate proceedings, using her backhand as a major weapon to dismantle her opponents' rhythm.
Andreescu thus can't let Tsurenko control the tempo of the match if she is to make it to her first final of the season. A repeat of the lapse that she had against Kostyuk could be costly.
The Canadian needs to move well and mix up her baseline play with quick forays to the net. If she can keep up the pressure on Tsurenko's serve, the Ukrainian could collapse into a heap of errors.
Pick: Bianca Andreescu to win in straight sets.
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