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Match details
Fixture: (2) Barbora Krejcikova vs (8) Tereza Martincova
Date: 18 July 2021
Tournament: Livesport Prague Open 2021
Round: Final
Venue: Prague, Czech Republic
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $235,238
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Barbora Krejcikova vs Tereza Martincova preview
Reigning French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova will look to win her third trophy in three months when she takes on Tereza Martincova in an all-Czech final at Prague on Sunday.
Krejcikova is currently enjoying the best phase of her career. Following a run to the final in Dubai, the 25-year-old won her maiden WTA title in Strasbourg. The confidence she gained from that win helped her put up a stunning performance in Paris, where she lifted her first-ever Major trophy in singles.
Having subsequently made the second week at Wimbledon too, Krejcikova is now looking for her maiden title at home. She hasn't dropped a set in four matches so far, and looks poised to add to her trophy collection.
Tereza Martincova, meanwhile, came into the tournament on the back of a strong showing on grass. The 26-year-old reached back-to-back quarterfinals at Nottingham and Birmingham, before making it to the third round at Wimbledon for the first time in her career.
That run catapulted Martincova to a career-high ranking of 78th, and she doesn't seem in a mood to stop anytime soon. The Prague-born player has cruised through the draw at her home tournament, winning all her matches in straight sets en route to the final.
Barbora Krejcikova vs Tereza Martincova head-to-head
Tereza Martincova leads Barbora Krejcikova 2-1 in the head-to-head. Martincova won their first couple of meetings - at St. Petersburg and Quebec City - in 2016. But Krejcikova was able to turn the tables in their most recent meeting, at Ostrava 2020.
Barbora Krejcikova vs Tereza Martincova prediction
Tereza Martincova is endowed with great speed and agility, and can run down pretty much everything. It was her ability to convert defense into offense that had made the 26-year-old such a difficult opponent for Barbora Krejcikova in the initial phrase of their rivalry.
However, Krejcikova has come a long way since then. Not only has she improved in the technical aspects of her game, but the 25-year-old has also become a mentally stronger player over the years.
Martincova has been serving and returning well this week. Against Greet Minnen in the semifinals, she landed 71% of her first serves and converted five of her seven break points. It takes intelligence and patience to break down Martincova's game, and that's where Krejcikova's variety and smart shot placement could come in handy.
Admittedly, Krejcikova's serve has been a small cause for concern this week. The Roland Garros champion managed to land just 54.3% of her first serves against Xinyu Wang in their last four clash, and that will likely not suffice against a player like Martincova.
But if Krejcikova can get her serve up to speed and remain solid with her groundstrokes, she should be able to come through this one.
Prediction: Barbora Krejcikova to win in straight sets.
