Amanda Anisimova vs. Elise Mertens – Prediction – WTA Ostrava (Czech Republic) 21.10.2020

Preview and players comparison.

Mertens got the better of a 17-year-old Anisimova in the second round of 2019 Indian Wells, winning 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and 19 minutes. At that time, the American was just months into her top 100 debut and yet to lift a WTA title. Despite myriad improvements in her game, Anisimova remains the underdog against the seventh seed.

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Amanda Anisimova ended her clay-court season and left Paris with a humbling experience. Having beaten Simona Halep in last year’s Roland-Garros, the American received a severe payback at the hands of the former champion in the third round, losing 6-0, 6-1 in 54 minutes. Her post-pandemic win-loss now stands at 5-6. Anisimova’s affairs have been in shambles following her semifinal finish at Roland-Garros last year. In fact, despite starting the year with a semifinal in Auckland, the world no. 30’s best result since January has been a mere last-16 finish at Doha. She is now about to embark on her only career’s maiden WTA indoor outing.

Compared to Anisimova’s five, Elise Mertens has picked 17 wins since the season resumed, more than anyone else. Most notably, she went on to become the runner-up in Czech capital Prague, semifinalist at W&S Open, and quarterfinalist at US Open and Rome. In contrast, she held just nine wins in the pre-lockdown 2020. While her teenager opponent has little to no experience in these conditions, Mertens is also three years removed from her latest decent indoor results. A semifinalist at Luxembourg and quarterfinalist in Biel in 2017, the Belgian has not succeeded in winning more than one indoor match in each of the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Match Info and Live Scores.