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Match details
Fixture: (2) Andrea Petkovic vs Mayar Sherif
Date: 8 August 2021
Tournament: 2021 Winners Open
Round: Final
Venue: Winners Sports Club, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: $235,000
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel
Andrea Petkovic vs Mayar Sherif preview
Playing in her second final of the season, Germany's Andrea Petkovic will look to stop Mayar Sherif's dream run when the pair meet in the championship match of the 2021 Winners Open on Sunday.
The inaugural WTA 250 tournament has seen a considerable number of upsets, with as many as six seeds falling before the quarterfinals.
Petkovic, the number two seed, survived the onslaught and has cleared some difficult hurdles to reach the final.
The 33-year-old was forced to complete her quarterfinal match on Saturday afternoon after it was suspended on Friday due to darkness. She only needed one game to secure her passage to the last four, beating Australian qualifier Seone Mendez.
Petkovic returned to the court a few hours later to defeat the resurgent Serbian Aleksandra Krunic in straight sets.
Mayar Sherif, meanwhile, has enjoyed a tremendous week in which she has achieved significant milestones.
Sherif became the first Egyptian woman in history to reach a WTA final and she did so without dropping a set all week. Her stunning victory over top seed Alize Cornet in the first round was the first time she beat a top-100 player.
She will look to continue her momentum and clinch the first WTA title of her career.
Andrea Petkovic vs Mayar Sherif head-to-head
Andrea Petkovic and Mayar Sherif will be facing off against each other for the first time, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Andrea Petkovic vs Mayar Sherif prediction
Andrea Petkovic has been in red-hot form ever since the grasscourt season came to an end. The German veteran, who was on the verge of retirement not so long ago, has remained healthy this year and has posted a good run of results.
Unsurprisingly, she has enjoyed the most success on clay. Petkovic has won 11 of her last 13 matches on the surface, reaching two finals in the process. Considering her recent form, she will prove a hard nut for Sherif to crack in the title decider on Sunday.
Sherif, meanwhile, has managed to put Egypt back on the tennis map with her exploits this week. Sherif has played with efficiency and discipline in Cluj-Napoca, dropping just 24 games en route to the final.
The 25-year-old looked in inspired touch in the semifinals on Saturday as she dismissed Mihaela Buzarnescu with ease. Sherif's court coverage and fitness should give her a slight edge over the experienced Petkovic.
Needless to say, if the Egyptian can play aggressively and move Petkovic around the court, she should be able to seal her maiden title in a close final.
Prediction: Mayar Sherif to win in three sets.
