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Match Details
Fixture: (3) Bianca Andreescu vs Christina McHale*
Date: 22 June 2021
Tournament: Viking International Eastbourne 2021
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Eastbourne, Great Britain
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Grass
Prize money: $565,530
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
(*Note: Bianca Andreescu was initially supposed to play Madison Keys, but the latter withdrew from the tournament owing to an injury. Christina McHale has taken Keys' place in the draw.)
Bianca Andreescu vs Christina McHale preview
Bianca Andreescu enters the 2021 Eastbourne International on a quest for her first career main-draw win on grass. Meanwhile her opponent, World No. 96 Christina McHale, would be hoping to register her first main-draw win on this surface since she made the second round at Wimbledon 2017.
Andreescu's unfortunate relationship with injuries kept her out of the game the whole of last year, and she is now looking to regain her title-winning form. She had her first taste of grasscourt tennis last week in Berlin, where she lost a tight two-setter to Alize Cornet in the first round.
McHale comes into this matchup as a qualifier, after beating Slam semifinalist Anastasija Sevastova in three sets. Her win-loss record for this year, however, is a dismal 1-11 so far.
Needless to say, the American would be looking to improve that number with a deep run this week.
Bianca Andreescu vs Christina McHale head-to-head
This will be the first ever meeting between Bianca Andreescu and Christina McHale, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Bianca Andreescu vs Christina McHale prediction
We can expect some fast-paced shot-making in this match given that both Bianca Andreescu and Christina McHale can take the ball on the rise. There will be a lot of aggressive baseline exchanges, and the result will likely be determined by who comes up with more winners.
The serve could turn out to be a significant factor in this match. Andreescu coughed up a huge number of double faults in Berlin, which is something that she cannot afford to do on a serve-oriented surface like grass.
McHale, on the other hand, lost her serve just twice after dropping the first set in her previous match against Sevastova. If she carries her confident serving into this match, she might be able create some chances against the World No. 7.
That said, McHale’s lack of form and wins this year could be an even bigger factor. Andreescu knows how to exploit the weaknesses of her opponents, and if she draws on her Miami run earlier this year (where she made the final), the Canadian should be able to cross the finish line on Tuesday.
Prediction: Bianca Andreescu to win in straight sets.
