Italian Open 2021: Simona Halep vs Angelique Kerber preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (3) Simona Halep vs Angelique Kerber

Date: 12 May 2021

Tournament: Internazionali BNL d'italia 2021

Round: Second round (Round of 32)

Venue: Rome, Italy

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: €1,577,613

Match timing: Not before 6 pm local time, 9.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Simona Halep vs Angelique Kerber preview

Simona Halep will start her Italian Open title defense against a familiar foe, Angelique Kerber, on Wednesday.

Halep started the 2021 season with a decent performance Down Under, reaching the quarterfinals of both the Gippsland Trophy and the Australian Open. She then withdrew from her second-round encounter in Miami, citing a right shoulder injury.

The Romanian's clay season began in Stuttgart, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals. She also played in Madrid last week, where she was handed a surprising defeat by Elise Mertens in the third round despite winning the first set.

Angelique Kerber, meanwhile, has been struggling to find her form this season. The German has an abysmal 7-8 win-loss record in 2021 so far, and will be looking for a deep run here in Rome to build some confidence for Roland Garros.

Kerber defeated qualifier Alize Cornet in straight sets in a rain-interrupted first-round encounter on Tuesday.

Angelique Kerber

Simona Halep vs Angelique Kerber head-to-head

Simona Halep leads the head-to-head against Angelique Kerber by a margin of 6-5. The two players last faced each other in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Eastbourne Open, where Kerber won in straight sets.

Simona Halep vs Angelique Kerber prediction

Simona Halep enters the match as the firm favorite on paper. Her form and playing style, especially on clay, give her a distinct advantage in this encounter.

That said, Angelique Kerber has enough in her arsenal to trouble the Romanian and cause an upset.

Halep is one of the best movers on tour currently, and she will look to use her speed and consistency to dominate the match from the start. The 29-year-old, who is known for hitting with unerring depth even from difficult positions, will try to dictate the rallies by moving Kerber from side to side.

Simona Halep will be the favorite to win.

Kerber, who has been struggling with her serve lately, needs to be extra cautious with the shot on Wednesday; Halep will use her strong return game to pounce on every opportunity. The German would also have to play smartly from the baseline and try to keep Halep off-balance, as hitting through the Romanian will be a tough ask on the slow surface.

We can expect to be treated to some excellent shotmaking in this match, with plenty of long rallies. But given Kerber's current form, the odds seem heavily tilted in Halep's favor.

Prediction: Simona Halep to win in straight sets.