Roland Garros 2021: Amanda Anisimova vs Veronika Kudermetova preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Amanda Anisimova vs Veronika Kudermetova

Date: 30 May 2021

Tournament: Roland Garros 2021

Round: First round (Round of 128)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Red Clay

Prize Money: €17,171,108

Match timing: Approx. 7 pm local time, 5 pm GMT, 1 pm EST, 10.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK - ITV | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Amanda Anisimova vs Veronika Kudermetova preview

American Amanda Anisimova will take on Russia's Veronika Kudermetova in the first round of Roland Garros 2021 on Sunday.

Anisimova broke through in epic fashion in 2019, reaching the semifinals of the French Open and winning her maiden WTA title at Copa Calsanitas. However, she has failed to kick on since then, with injuries and personal problems stalling her development.

Although Anisimova has failed to light up the tour the past couple of seasons, the 19-year-old has registered respectable results on clay. She managed to reach the third round of the French Open last year, losing to top seed Simona Halep in straight sets.

The American also did well in Parma, a tune-up event for this year's Roland Garros, winning her first two matches in straight sets before losing to eventual champion Coco Gauff.

Veronika Kudermetova

Veronika Kudermetova, on the other hand, is still looking for her Grand Slam breakthrough. The Russian has never been beyond the third round at a Major but her performances on clay this year will fill her with confidence.

The World No. 30 won her maiden WTA title in Charleston, beating Danka Kovinic in the final, and followed it up with a semifinal finish in Istanbul.

Amanda Anisimova vs Veronika Kudermetova head-to-head

The first-round match in Paris will be the first-ever career meeting between Amanda Anisimova and Veronika Kudermetova, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Amanda Anisimova vs Veronika Kudermetova prediction

This is a tough match to call. Amanda Anisimova has a strong and versatile forehand, which she uses to create angles from the back of the court.

Amanda Anisimova

Having said that, Anisimova is a shadow of the player she was more than a year ago. The American has struggled for consistency in recent matches; in her losses to Maria Sakkari in Madrid and Elina Svitolina in Rome, Anisimova dominated the early proceedings before suffering an alarming drop-off to eventually lose in three sets.

She will hope to find her rhythm at Roland Garros, where she has fond memories.

Veronika Kudermetova, on the other hand, does not possess the same power as her younger opponent, but she does own a solid baseline game. The Russian, who reached the third round in Paris last year, will hope to stay consistent from the back of the court and prolong the rallies, forcing errors from the American's racquet.

If Kudermetova can withstand Anisimova's early onslaught, she will fancy her chances of advancing to the second round.

Prediction: Veronika Kudermetova to win in three sets.

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