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Two very unlikely finalists will fight it out for the biggest trophy of their careers at Roland Garros 2019. But, with Ashleigh Barty and Marketa Vondrousova, there is no doubt we shall get a terrific clash of contrasting styles, and regardless of the outcome, we shall have a first time Grand Slam champion.
The two have played each other twice earlier and both of those have been won by the more experienced Aussie, but neither of those matches were on clay, and none played in 2019, a year when the nineteen-year-old Czech has come of age.
Vondrousova may not have won a title this season, but she has made deep runs in most of the tournaments she has played in. For a player so young, she has had a lot of experience in WTA circuit, both in singles and doubles, and has enjoyed considerable success in both already.
But this final is her greatest shot at glory in her yet nascent career. She will surely get many more chances, but she would much rather start on a winning note in her first Grand Slam final, and her form in the tournament has been nothing short of sensational.
She has won all her matches in straight sets, and three of those matches have involved seeded players, including her semi-final against an in-form Johanna Konta. Though she won in straight sets against Konta, she showed remarkable fortitude in coming back from break down to win in both sets.
That would also help her in tough situations, if she is faced with them in the final. Her opponent in the final had an even more remarkable comeback story in her semi-final match against American teen sensation Amanda Anisimova. To lose a set after being 5-0 up could be dispiriting for any player.
But Barty did not let that disappointment get to her, and made her own remarkable comeback after going down early in the second set. She used her varieties of slices and drop shots to frustrate the young American into committing errors. She will certainly use a similar strategy against the Czech. But compared to an inexperienced Anisimova, the young but more experienced Vondrousova is more likely to withstand that challenge.
Prediction: Marketa Vondrousova to win in Three Sets
