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Match Details
Fixture: (6) Kaia Kanepi vs Liudmila Samsonova
Date: August 7, 2022
Tournament: Citi Open 2022
Round: Final
Venue: Washington, D.C., United States
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $251,750
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | Australia - beIN Sports
Kaia Kanepi vs Liudmila Samsonova preview
Sixth seed Kaia Kanepi will square off against Liudmila Samsonova in the final of the Citi Open on Sunday.
Kanepi secured a win against Daria Saville 6-3, 6-1 to book a spot in the final in Washington, D.C.
The Estonian has had an average season. She has garnered 24 wins against 11 losses so far.
Notably, she reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 Australian Open where she gave Iga Swiatek a scare but was eventually seen off in three tight sets 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-3. She has managed victories over Garbine Muguruza and Belinda Bencic at two separate events this year.
Kanepi also reached the semifinals of The Trophee Lagardere, a WTA 125 event. The 37-year-old has acquired four WTA titles in the past, one on hard court and three on clay. Moreover, she has bagged 20 ITF titles.
Meanwhile, the Russian hasn’t fared too well this season. She has incurred 14 losses against 14 wins so far.
Samsonova played in the semifinals of the Stuttgart Open, where she pushed World No. 1 Iga Swiatek to three sets and kept the competition stiff. She was eventually outplayed by the Pole 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5.
Samsonova has lifted one career WTA trophy at the 2021 German Open grasscourt tournament. She has also claimed four ITF circuit titles.
En route to the final, Samsonova got the better of Elise Mertens, Ajla Tomljanovic, Emma Raducanu and Wang Xiyu. In the quarterfinals, the Russian had a comfortable victory over Wang 6-1, 6-1.
Kaia Kanepi vs Liudmila Samsonova head-to-head
Samsonova leads head-to-head against Kanepi, 1-0. They previously clashed at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, where the Russian got the better of the Estonian 6-4, 6-2.
Kaia Kanepi vs Liudmila Samsonova odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Kaia Kanepi vs Liudmila Samsonova prediction
This promises to be a close encounter. The two players have almost identical stats on the court this year. Samsonova, however, has a slight edge when it comes to the number of aces, the break points converted and the break points saved.
Kanepi can switch from being an offensive baseliner to being a defensive player as per the need of the situation. She generally employs a powerful stroke game. She prominently uses her flat backhand to return serves. However, she can also return well with her forehand.
Samsonova has a quality game. She hit 17 winners and just five unforced errors in her previous match. She will have to react quickly and efficiently to Kanepi’s clean ball-striking to score the win.
Pick: Samsonova to win in three sets.
