Birmingham 2024 final: Ajla Tomljanovic vs Yulia Putintseva preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Rothesay Classic

Match Details

Fixture: (PR) Ajla Tomljanovic vs Yulia Putintseva

Date: June 23, 2024

Tournament: Rothesay Classic 2024

Round: Final

Venue: Edgbaston Priory Club, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Category: WTA 250

Surface: Grass

Prize Money: $267,082

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Tennis Channel, BBC Red Button

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Ajla Tomljanovic vs Yulia Putintseva preview

Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2024 Rothesay Classic Birmingham. (Photo: Getty)

Ajla Tomljanovic will square off against Yulia Putintseva for the title of the 2024 Rothesay Classic on Sunday (June 23).

Tomljanovic's comeback was nipped in the bud after three tournaments in January as she was out of commission until the end of the clay swing. She came back in May for the French Open and lost in the first round to Dayana Yastremska in three sets.

Tomljanovic kicked off her campaign in Birmingham with a solid 6-2, 6-1 win over Anna Blinkova. She rallied from a set down to beat Zhu Lin 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-4 in the second round. She staged yet another comeback in the quarterfinals as she overcame a one-set deficit to defeat Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The Australian took on seventh seed Anastasia Potapova in the semifinals. Tomljanovic nabbed a hard-fought first set after edging out her opponent in the tie-break. She secured the only break of serve in the second set in the final game of the match to score a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win and reach her first WTA final in over five years.

Putintseva disposed of Clara Burel and Anhelina Kalinina in straight sets to make the last eight here. She survived a three-set tussle against Caroline Dolehide to move into the semifinals, where she faced Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Putintseva nabbed the first couple of games of the match, only for Cocciaretto to do the same to level the score. The Kazakh gained the upper hand once again as she swept the next four games to take the opening set.

Putintseva raced to a 5-1 lead in the second set but stumbled while trying to close out the match. Cocciaretto saved three match points and nabbed a break of serve to keep herself in contention. However, the Kazakh broke back immediately to register a 6-2, 6-2 victory, and advance to her first final in nearly three years.

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Ajla Tomljanovic vs Yulia Putintseva head-to-head

Putintseva leads Tomljanovic 3-1 in the head-to-head. The Kazakh won their previous encounter at the 2022 Istanbul Cup in three sets.

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Ajla Tomljanovic vs Yulia Putintseva odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Ajla Tomljanovic	+135	-1.5 (+260)	Over 21.5 (-130)
Yulia Putintseva	-165	+1.5 (-400)	Under 21.5 (-110)

(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)

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Ajla Tomljanovic vs Yulia Putintseva prediction

Yulia Putintseva at the 2024 Rothesay Classic Birmingham. (Photo: Getty)

After months of struggles due to her injury woes, Tomljanovic's hard work has paid off big time. She has reached her first tour-level final in quite some time, which is her first on grass as well. Putintseva is in the same boat, reaching her first career final on the surface.

Tomljanovic's game suits grass quite well as her flat groundstrokes and solid serve are a tough combo to beat when she's on. She made consecutive quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2021 and 2022, so she's a threat on the surface.

However, Putintseva is no pushover, especially against Tomljanovic, against whom she has a winning record in their rivalry. The Kazakh won their last three matches, though two of them went the distance.

While she has struggled against Putintseva in the past, the Australian has a good shot to flip the script on a surface she's comfortable on. She has played well all week, and the stars seem to be aligning for Tomljanovic to finally capture her maiden WTA title.

Pick: Ajla Tomljanovic to win in three sets.