Palermo Open 2020: Petra Martic vs Anett Kontaveit preview, head-to-head & prediction

Top seed Petra Martic has had to work hard to reach the semifinals of the 2020 Palermo Open. The Croat had to come through back-to-back marathons in her two matches, and things are about to get tougher.

Awaiting her in the last 4 is the Estonian fourth seed Anett Kontaveit, who had to overcome her own obstacles in order to make her way through.

The two women have spent more than 11 hours on court between their six matches. And while the extra time on court would have given them enough time to get used to the conditions, it would have also taken a physical toll.

Anett Kontaveit has developed a reputation of going three sets in most of her matches.

Anett Kontaveit, for one, has developed a reputation for being a frequent three-set winner in recent years. She often experiences lapses in concentration, and is known to be jittery while closing out matches.

That said, Kontaveit does come out on top more often than not, and that's exactly what she has done in Palermo. The Estonian did not have the toughest of draws but had to struggle past her last opponents.

Anett Kontaveit has seemed vulnerable this week, and would be looking to settle her nerves before the big match. Unlike Petra Martic, she was never really been under threat of losing in any of her matches this week, but she hasn't been very convincing in her wins either.

Petra Martic vs Anett Kontaveit head-to-head

Petra Martic beat Anett Kontaveit in their first career meeting earlier in the year.

The two women have played each other just once before, in Dubai earlier this year, with Petra Martic coming out on top in straight sets. She will take confidence from that win and from the improvements she has made here all week.

The Croat was slow to start with in her first two matches and looked rather rusty, but that wasn't the case in the quarterfinal against Aliaksandra Sasnovich. The thoroughly competitive match saw Petra Martic come into her own, especially during the big points, and she will look to carry forward that momentum.

Anett Kontaveit, on the other hand, needs to be wary of her opponent's growing confidence because she does not want to see Petra Martic charging forward to the net too often. She will have to execute her baseline game extremely well to not allow the Croat any room.

Petra Martic vs Anett Kontaveit prediction

Anett Kontaveit hasn't looked her best this week, and will need to turn it up a notch in the semifinals if she wishes to upstage the top seed. But even if she does control her nerves, there's no guarantee that will be good enough to stop an increasingly dangerous looking Martic.

Prediction: Petra Martic to win in straight sets.