WTA 500 Linz final

Alexandrova – Yastremska: 02.02.2025 14:00 CEST
H2H: 2-3

Ekaterina Alexandrova has won three of her last five matches. Two weeks ago in Melbourne, Alexandrova lost against Raducanu in the opening round of the Australian Open. So far this season, Ekaterina has had no remarkable results. She is the fourth seed in Linz.

Ekaterina won against Sasnovich in easy straight sets in her opening-round match. She was excellent under pressure, saving 3/4 breakpoints and winning the most important points of the match. It is her eighth appearance in Linz. Alexandrova won against Martic in the quarterfinals after losing the first set 3-6. After that, in the second and third sets, Ekaterina lost only four games and did not lose her serve. Today, in the semifinals, Alexandrova dominated against Muchova. It was an outstanding performance. She won the first set 6-0 and was unplayable. In the second set, Alexandrova broke Muchova’s serve only once, enough for a comfortable win. She served great throughout the match, saving all three breakpoints.

Last year, Ekaterina reached the final, losing against Ostapenko in the final. In 2018, Alexandrova also finished as a runner-up. She lost the previous two final matches. She last won the title in 2023 on a grass court.

Dayana Yastremska has won four of her last five matches. Two weeks ago in Melbourne, Yastremska lost in the third round of the Australian Open against Rybakina in straight sets. A week before, she reached the quarterfinals of the WTA Hobart, losing against Kessler in straight sets.

Yastremska won her opening match against Bronzetti in straight sets this week in Linz. It was a very tight match, but Dayana’s experience prevailed. In the second round, Dayana also won against Ruzic in straight sets. She was 2-4 down in the opening set and turned it around. Dayana lost her serve in the second set but won six straight games. In the quarterfinals, Dayana easily won against Sakkari in straight sets. Maria had no answer for Dayana’s tennis. The second set was one-sided. Today, in the semifinals, she defeated Tauson in straight sets, losing only five games. Dayana was once again great under pressure, saving 9/9 breakpoints.

Dayana returns to a WTA final after almost three years. The Ukrainian played her best tennis this week. Before this tournament, Dayana was outside the top 70. However, she is back in the top 50 with her recent results. It will be her sixth WTA final match. So far in her career, Dayana has won three WTA titles. Last year in Linz, Dayana reached the second round, losing against Vekic in straight sets.

Best Bet to Make

According to the bookies, this will be a 50-50 match, but we disagree. Alexandrova is playing her third final in Linz. She gained experience through the last two final losses. If she repeats her semifinal performance, Ekaterina will easily win tomorrow. Yastremska played well this week, but Alexandrova has been more consistent for the last couple of weeks and has had better results in Linz.

That being said, Alexandrova winning is a value bet.

Value bet/ the best odds: Ekaterina Alexandrova winning @1.73 @bet365

Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports