Moscow 2021: Anett Kontaveit vs Marketa Vondrousova preview, head-to-head & prediction | VTB Kremlin Cup

Match details

Fixture: (9) Anett Kontaveit vs Marketa Vondrousova

Date: 23 October 2021

Tournament: VTB Kremlin Cup

Round: Semifinals

Venue: Moscow, Russia

Category: WTA 500

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize money: $565,530

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

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Anett Kontaveit vs Marketa Vondrousova preview

Ninth seed Anett Kontaveit will aim to reach her fifth final of the season when she takes on Olympic silver medalist Marketa Vondrousova in the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup on Saturday.

Kontaveit has been on a roll over the past few weeks. The Estonian won the title at Cleveland and backed that up with another title-winning performance at the indoor hardcourt tournament in Ostrava.

The fact that Kontaveit beat top names such as Petra Kvitova, Paula Badosa, Belinda Bencic and Maria Sakkari to win the Ostrava title speaks volumes of the confidence with which she has been striking the ball.

Kontaveit has so far shown the same kind of belief at the ongoing Kremlin Cup. The World No. 20 is yet to drop a set so far in three matches, which includes a 6-1, 6-1 thrashing of the in-form Garbine Muguruza in the quarterfinals.

Marketa Vondrousova with the women's singles silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics

Marketa Vondrousova, meanwhile, struggled for a bit after capturing the women's singles medal at the Tokyo Olympics. However, she seems to have found her rhythm in the weeks since the US Open.

The Czech southpaw has reached the semifinals in three of her last four tournaments, with a first-round defeat at the BNP Paribas Open being the only aberration.

At Moscow this week, Vondrousova has been in stunning form. She hasn't conceded a set in three matches so far, upsetting the likes of fourth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and seventh seed Elena Rybakina along the way.

Anett Kontaveit vs Marketa Vondrousova head-to-head

Marketa Vondrousova leads Anett Kontaveit 2-0 in the head-to-head. The Czech's first win over Kontaveit came in 2017 in the Biel final, while her latest win was this year in the first round of the Wimbledon Championships.

Anett Kontaveit vs Marketa Vondrousova prediction

Anett Kontaveit in action at the VTB Kremlin Cup

Marketa Vondrousova has been a tough matchup for Anett Kontaveit in the past. Her consistent hitting from the back of the court, coupled with her perfectly placed dropshots, has made life difficult for the Estonian.

However, Kontaveit is currently in the form of her life, with her improved serve in particular making a huge difference. She played first-strike tennis of the highest order against Muguruza, producing six aces and winning 89% of her first serve points.

If she can maintain that kind of serving form, she would fancy her chances of notching up her first-ever win over Vondrousova.

But Kontaveit needs to stay aggressive and keep her unforced error count low. She will also need to come forward and finish points at the net whenever the opportunity arises.

With Vondrousova being in equally impressive form, this match has all the makings of a classic. But having won two titles over the past couple of months, Kontaveit can be expected to outlast the Czech.

Prediction: Anett Kontaveit to win in three sets.