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Match Details
Fixture: (8) Belinda Bencic vs Anna Kalinskaya
Date: June 16, 2022.
Tournament: bett1open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Berlin, Germany.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: $757,900.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Belinda Bencic vs Anna Kalinskaya preview
Eighth seed Belinda Bencic will meet World No. 81 Anna Kalinskaya on Thursday with a place in the quarterfinals of the bett1open in Berlin up for grabs.
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After a slow start to the season, Bencic found her rhythm during the North American swing, reaching the semifinals in Miami and the final in Charleston. She, however, couldn't do much of note in the remainder of the clay season.
Following a narrow three-set loss to US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez in the third round of the French Open, Bencic is looking to bounce back on grass. The former junior Wimbledon champion has made it to four finals on the surface, winning the Eastbourne International in 2015.
Her most recent final on grass came last year at this very tournament in Berlin, where she ended up being second-best to Liudmila Samsonova. Back in the German capital following a quarterfinal appearance at 's-Hertogenbosch last week, the Olympic champion will be hoping to go all the way this time around.
The eighth seed, however, didn't have an easy time on the court in her first match in Berlin this year. The Swiss needed three sets to stave off stiff resistance from local hope Jule Niemeier for a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 win on Tuesday.
23-year-old Anna Kalinskaya, meanwhile, had a promising career as a junior, winning the 2016 Australian Open doubles title alongside Tereza Mihalikova. She also finished as the runner-up in singles at the 2015 French Open and in doubles at the US Open that same year.
The Russian's transition onto the senior circuit has, however, been slow. She has seven ITF singles titles to her name but none on the WTA tour.
Kalinskaya, however, has blossomed into a fine doubles player, with three WTA titles to her name already. That said, Kalinskaya has been making her presence felt even in singles over the last few months.
Her best performance of the year in singles remains a semifinal finish at the WTA 250 event in Guadalajara, Mexico. At both Indian Wells and Miami, she won four matches, starting from the qualifiers.
Kalinskaya has come to Berlin on the back of a second-round loss to none other than Bencic at 's-Hertogenbosch. Having posted a commanding 6-4, 6-4 win over Alize Cornet in the first round, the wildcard entrant will be gunning to exact revenge over Bencic when they meet in the second round on Thursday.
Belinda Bencic vs Anna Kalinskaya head-to-head
Bencic has a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head against Kalinskaya. The 7-6(2), 6-4 win for the Swiss came just last week on the grasscourts of 's-Hertogenbosch.
Belinda Bencic vs Anna Kalinskaya odds
(All odds sourced from Oddschecker)
Belinda Bencic vs Anna Kalinskaya prediction
Kalinskaya's aggressive approach worked wonders against Cornet in the first round. Her down-the-line forehand was on fire with which she repeatedly smacked winners past the French veteran.
She will look to keep it going against Bencic too. However, the Swiss has a game tailor-made for grass, which gives her the edge. Her flat groundstrokes off both wings as well as her quick reflexes have taken her to the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships twice.
Kalinskaya needs to serve better than the 63% first serves she landed against Cornet if she is to make life difficult for Bencic. She also can't afford to squander her chances, something she was guilty of doing the last time they met, where the Russian was just 1/7 on break points.
Bencic herself didn't put up a clean act against Niemeier in the first round at Berlin, but she was still able to dictate play, winning 75% of her first-serve points. Ultimately, Bencic's experience and her prior success on grass should give her an advantage. Kalinskaya might make a fast start but holding on to it could prove to be difficult if she can't manage to keep her unforced errors in check.
Pick: Belinda Bencic to win in three sets.
