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Match details
Fixture: (5) Belinda Bencic vs (Q) Liudmila Samsonova
Date: 20 June 2021
Tournament: bett1Open 2021
Round: Finals
Venue: Berlin, Germany
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Grass
Prize money: $565,530
Match timing: Not before 3:30 pm local time, 1:30 pm GMT, 9:30 am EST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Belinda Bencic vs Liudmila Samsonova preview
Belinda Bencic and Liudmila Samsonova will square off in the finals of the 2021 bett1Open on Sunday.
While Bencic will be contesting her 12th WTA final, Samsonova will be playing her first.
Bencic, seeded fifth in Berlin, defeated giant-killer Alize Cornet 7-5, 6-4 in the semifinals on Saturday.
The 24-year-old Swiss was dominant in the baseline rallies as she conjured up a remarkable 29 winners, of which only five were aces. Bencic was also extremely accurate from the back of the court, committing only 19 unforced errors.
The Swiss was also solid on return, creating four break point opportunities and converting each of them. She did, however, face 10 break points, and ended up dropping serve twice.
Benciwill be playing her fourth final on grass, where she has one title -- the 2015 Eastbourne International.
Liudmila Samsonova, meanwhile, overwhelmed seventh seed Victoria Azarenka in her last-four clash. The Russian won 6-4, 6-2 to claim her second top-20 victory of the season.
Samsonova struck 24 winners, including 11 aces, and was particularly solid on first serve; she won almost 83% of her first-serve points. The 22-year-old would be especially pleased by the fact she coughed up a mere six unforced errors and did not get broken a single time against a returner of Azarenka's caliber.
Belinda Bencic vs Liudmila Samsonova head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between Belinda Bencic and Liudmila Samsonova, so their head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Belinda Bencic vs Liudmila Samsonova prediction
Liudmila Samsonova is on a six-match winning streak in Berlin and enters this clash high on confidence. But Bencic, who enjoys playing on the grass, will pose a stern test.
The World No. 12 has been striking the ball extremely cleanly from the back of the court all week and is definitely the favorite on paper, given her grasscourt pedigree and experience. Samsonova, however, has nothing to lose and should embrace her underdog status and take the fight to Bencic.
If the Russian can find her range on her serve and groundstrokes, she can overwhelm Bencic from the baseline. With one eye on a Wimbledon wildcard, expect Samsonova to leave no stone unturned in her quest for a maiden WTA title.
Prediction: Liudmila Samsonova to win in three sets.
