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Match details
Fixture: Daria Kasatkina vs Svetlana Kuznetsova
Date: 20 March 2021
Tournament: St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy 2021
Round: Semifinals
Venue: St. Petersburg, Russia
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: $565,530
Match timing: Not before 3.30 pm local time, 6 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel
Daria Kasatkina vs Svetlana Kuznetsova preview
The 2021 St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy will witness yet another all-Russian affair in the semifinals, as World No. 61 Daria Kasatkina takes on two-time Major winner Svetlana Kuznetsova on Saturday.
Kuznetsova, a former World No. 2, came into St. Petersburg desperately looking for some form. She had failed to reach the Round of 16 at any tournament she had entered prior to this week.
But the Russian has turned her fortunes around at the WTA 500 event. Kuznetsova won her opening match against China's Wang Xinyu in straight sets, before coming from a set and a break down to defeat surprise quarterfinalist Jaqueline Adina Cristian and reach the last four.
Kuznetsova's next opponent, former World No. 10 Daria Kasatkina, will likely make for an even tougher match-up.
Having gone through a significant ranking drop after reaching the 2018 Indian Wells Masters final, the talented Kasatkina has been competing on the lower rungs of the WTA for a while. The Russian did not enjoy a great 2020 season, but has started 2021 in a much more confident frame of mind.
Kasatkina won her first WTA title in over two years at the 2021 Philipp Island Trophy, beating Marie Bouzkova in the championship match. The Russian has continued her resurgence this week in her home country, defeating strong opponents like Clara Tauson and Aliaksandra Sasnovich early on.
In her quarters against countrywoman Veronika Kudermetova, Kasatkina overcame a one-set deficit to reach the semifinals at the 500-level event.
Daria Kasatkina vs Svetlana Kuznetsova head-to-head
The semifinal match in St. Petersburg will surprisingly be the first-ever career meeting between Daria Kasatkina and Svetlana Kuznetsova, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Daria Kasatkina vs Svetlana Kuznetsova prediction
Svetlana Kuznetsova has an all-round game, with solid strokes off both wings. With age her weapons might have become less potent, but she has a vast amount of experience that has helped her pull through tough matches against many younger opponents.
Daria Kasatkina will be aware of the threat posed by Kuznetsova, having practiced with the Russian veteran several times in the past. The 23-year-old will have to be at her tactical best in the all-Russian encounter, and will need to cut off Kuznetsova's high topspin shots with her own variety of slices and spins.
The key for Kasatkina, the more in-form player at the moment, will be to put in good depth on her returns and try to be unpredictable from the baseline.
The winner of this match is guaranteed to face another Russian - Margarita Gasparyan or Vera Zvonareva - in the championship match at St. Petersburg. The stakes are pretty high, and this time the younger opponent might have an edge.
Prediction: Daria Kasatkina to win in straight sets.
