H2H: Aryna Sabalenka vs. Kiki Bertens - Prediction (WTA

Preview and players comparison.

Bertens won her first four encounters with Sabalenka, starting from a Fed Cup match in 2017 to the quarterfinal of Eastbourne this June. The Belarusian got off the mark in Wuhan a few weeks ago, prevailing 6-1, 7-6 in the third round en route to the title. She faced a set point in the second set after leading it by 5-1.

Aryna Sabalenka narrowly avoided a herculean deciding set against Karolina Muchova, winning the semifinal, 7-5, 7-6, in an hour and 52 minutes. She trailed the first set by an early break while saving a set point on serve in the second. Moreover, the Czech served to take the match to distance twice as well. Entering a fifth WTA singles final in China, compared to four in the rest of the world, Sabalenka consolidates her credentials in this country. The Belarusian, who is making her second appearance in the WTA Elite Trophy, took out Sakkari in straight sets and doubles partner Mertens in three to clear the round-robin. Sabalenka will not be ending her season on Sunday, as she is in the doubles draw of the WTA Finals while being the world no. 2 in that discipline. The 21-year-old is 4-4 in career singles finals, 3-1 in China. This year, she triumphed in Shenzhen and successfully defended Wuhan, beating Alison Riske in both finals.

Kiki Bertens dropped a set for the first time this week but completed the comeback win against wildcard Saisai Zheng in two and a half hours, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, for her maiden career final on Chinese soil. Earlier in the group stage matches, the top seed had taken out Donna Vekic and Dayana Yastremska in straight sets. It wasn’t until last month’s Beijing when Bertens got past the last-16 stage of a Chinese tournament — exited the semifinal to Barty in a deciding set tiebreak. The Dutchwoman, who rose to the fourth place in the rankings in May, failed to qualify for the WTA Finals after poor last-ditch performances in Linz and Moscow. Bertens, who didn’t reach a hard-court WTA final until August 2018, is now 3-0 in such matches, with the recent win coming against Vekic in St. Petersburg in February. Her career final win-loss across all surfaces stands at 9-4, though she lost the last two title rounds in Rosmalen (l. Riske) and Palermo (l. Teichmann).