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Match details
Fixture: (10) Belinda Bencic vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Date: 9 April 2022.
Tournament: Charleston Open 2022.
Round: Semifinals.
Venue: Charleston, USA.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Outdoor clay (green).
Match timing: Not before 1.30 pm local time, 5.30 pm GMT, 11 pm IST.
Prize money: $888,636.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Belinda Bencic vs Ekaterina Alexandrova preview
10th seed Belinda Bencic will aim for a place in the final of the 2022 Charleston Open when she takes on World No. 54 Ekaterina Alexandrova on Saturday.
Bencic has bounced back strongly after a poor start to the season following a positive COVID-19 test. She made a scintillating run to the semifinals in Miami last week before bowing out to eventual runner-up Naomi Osaka in three sets.
The Tokyo Olympic gold medalist has managed to carry that form into Charleston this week. She beat Xiyu Wang in three sets to begin her campaign, which was followed by a couple of strong straight-sets wins.
In the quarterfinals, the Swiss held her nerves to eke out a gritty 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 win over second seed Paula Badosa. This was her first-ever win over the Spaniard in four attempts.
Meanwhile, having made the final at the Kremlin Cup in October, former World No. 25 Ekaterina Alexandrova has failed to replicate those efforts this year. She came to Charleston with a disappointing 4-6 win-loss record for the season.
However, the Russian has managed to find her rhythm in this WTA 500 event, reaching her maiden semifinal of the season. In four matches, she has dropped just one solitary set and one of her victims included third seed Karolina Pliskova.
Having blanked Magda Linette 6-0, 6-2 in the quarters, Alexandrova will be raring to go when she faces Bencic.
Belinda Bencic vs Ekaterina Alexandrova odds
Bencic is the oddsmaker's favorite due to her resurgent form. She has now reached back-to-back semifinals at Miami and Charleston and is the higher ranked player of the two at 21.
World No. 54 Alexandrova is the lower ranked player and hasn't had many notable results in the recent past, although she will be fresher of the two coming into this contest.
(All odds sourced from Betmgm.com)
Belinda Bencic vs Ekaterina Alexandrova head-to-head
Bencic and Alexandrova are tied at 2-2 in the head-to-head. They split their last couple of meetings, both of which were in 2021. While Alexandrova won their Stuttgart face-off 6-1, 7-5, Bencic edged the Russian 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4) in the Berlin quarterfinals.
Belinda Bencic vs Ekaterina Alexandrova prediction
Although Bencic is the higher ranked player in this contest, it should be noted that she was involved in a 167-minute marathon with Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals. Alexandrova, on the other hand, breezed past Linette in just 62 minutes.
It remains to be seen how quickly the Swiss manages to recover in such a short turnaround between the quarter and semifinal. Alexandrova, on the other hand, will come out swinging freely, having more energy than the Olympic gold medalist.
Another thing that could favor the Russian is her serve. She has produced 23 aces so far in four matches, maintaining a high percentage of first serves. The 27-year-old's uber-aggressive game has worked well so far, which should give her a lot of confidence before locking horns with Bencic.
If Alexandrova can keep her unforced errors in check and can keep serving well, she stands a solid chance of upsetting Bencic in this match.
Prediction: Ekaterina Alexandrova to win in three sets.
