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Match Details
Fixture: (8) Veronika Kudermetova vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Date: September 30, 2023
Tournament: Toray Pan Pacific Open 2023
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Tokyo, Japan
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $780,637
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Veronika Kudermetova vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova preview
Eighth seed Veronika Kudermetova will take on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Kudermetova started the WTA 500 event with a 6-3, 7-6(4) win over English qualifier Harriet Dart and followed that up with another straight-set win. The Russian triumphed 6-3, 6-3 over Kayla Day to set up a quarterfinal clash against World No. 2 Iga Swiatek.
Kudermetova dominated the opening set and won it 6-2 before the Pole took the second set by the same margin to level the match. The 26-year-old produced some fine tennis in the last set to clinch it 6-4 and register her first win over Swiatek.
Pavlyuchenkova started the Toray Pan Pacific Open with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-1 victory over Donna Vekic. She then faced Linda Noskova and defeated her 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 to book her place in the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 competition.
Here, the Russian faced her compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova and got off to a fine start as she took the opening set 6-2. Alexandrova started the second set by breaking Pavlyuchenkova's serve in the very first game. She was serving for the set when the 32-year-old broke her serve.
Pavlyuchenkova eventually won the second set 7-5 and sealed her place in the semifinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Veronika Kudermetova vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova head-to-head
The head-to-head between the two is currently tied at 2-2. Their last meeting came in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships, with Kudermetova winning 7-6(3), 6-2.
Veronika Kudermetova vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova odds
All odds are sourced from BETMGM.
Veronika Kudermetova vs Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova prediction
Kudermetova will enter the match as the favorite to win, especially after her win over Swiatek. However, Pavlyuchenkova's experience should not be written off.
Kudermetova loves to play aggressively and will look to adopt that method from the start of the match to dictate the play. However, she will have to be careful not to hit too many unforced errors in a match of such high magnitude.
Pavlyuchenkova has a strong serve that has fetched her 21 aces so far in Tokyo. However, she has also served 18 double faults, including eight each in two matches. The 2021 French Open runner-up cannot afford to give away any points to an opponent like Kudermetova and needs to be careful during her second serve.
Pavlyuchenkova will have to bring on her A-game if she is to come out on top.
At the moment, Kudermetova seems the favorite to win and with the mental boost she will receive after beating Swiatek, it's hard to see her lose.
Pick: Kudermetova to win in straight sets.
