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Match details
Fixture: Eugenie Bouchard vs Patricia Maria Tig
Date: 13 September 2020
Tournament: TEB BNP Paribas Tennis Championship 2020
Round: Final
Venue: Istanbul, Turkey
Category: WTA International
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: $225,500
Match timing: Not before 5 pm EEST, 7.30 pm IST
Eugenie Bouchard vs Patricia Maria Tig preview
In a bid to lift her first title since 2014, Eugenie Bouchard faces off against Patricia Maria Tig in the final of the WTA Istanbul Open on Sunday.
Bouchard has had an enormous dip in form over the last few years, to say the least. The former Wimbledon runner-up now stands at No. 272 in the world rankings, and this is her first final of any kind since the Malaysian Open in 2016.
The Canadian has seen something of an upturn in fortunes this year, having reached the quarterfinals in Auckland and Prague earlier. But she has been at her best in Istanbul this week, where she has won six matches following a wildcard entry into the qualifiers.
In the semifinal, Bouchard took less than an hour and a half to dismantle Paula Badosa of Spain and book her place in the final on Sunday - where she goes up against Romania's Patricia Maria Tig.
Tig resumed her season post the lockdown on clay, where she lost in the first round in Palermo. After a couple more first round losses at Prague and the Western & Southern Open, she bowed out of the US Open in the second round against Donna Vekic.
The 26-year-old comes into the final on the back of some excellent play in Istanbul. She has defeated the likes of Olga Danilovic and Misaki Doi this week, without the loss of a single set.
Eugenie Bouchard vs Patricia Maria Tig head-to-head
The meeting in the final of the Istanbul Open is the first between Eugenie Bouchard and Patricia Maria Tig, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Tig is the much-higher ranked player though at No. 88, which is nearly 200 spots better than Bouchard's 272.
Eugenie Bouchard vs Patricia Maria Tig prediction
Genie Bouchard has looked in tremendous form in Istanbul, and given her momentum she comes into this match as the favorite. However, Tig has played only four matches this week compared to Bouchard's six, and fatigue could possibly come into play on Sunday.
The Canadian also suffered an apparent shoulder injury in her quarterfinal match. But she has seemingly recovered from that, if her dazzling semifinal performance is anything to go by.
Tig will look to put early pressure on Bouchard, and employ a variety of shots to test her opponent's unconvincing movement. The Romanian has shown her proficiency on clay over the past few years, and her lone career title has come on the surface too - at a WTA 125k event in Karlsruhe, Germany.
However, Bouchard's powerful and accurate first serve coupled with her ability to redirect the pace of her opponents' groundstrokes should be enough to carry her over the finish line on Sunday.
Prediction: Eugenie Bouchard to win in three sets.
