Second round
Bertens (1.60) v Hercog (2.66)
Due to start around 3 pm
Head to heads are 1-1. They last met in Beijing a year ago. Bertens won in 3 sets on a hard court. Hercog’s win was in Dallas in 2012. Bertens retired after the first set.
Overall results in the last 12 months and also in 2020 are much better for Bertens. Both players have strong clay records but Bertens also has the lead on this surface.
Bertens made a good start to the season on hard courts and indoor courts. She reached the quarter finals in Brisbane and the fourth round at the Australian Open in January. She won the title in St Petersburg indoors in February. She played just 2 matches during lockdown and lost both. She lost to Kvitova on grass and Sevastova on an indoor hard court. She reached the semi finals in Rome last year but retired in the second round of the French Open.
Hercog beat Kaja Juvan in the last round as underdog. Last week she reached the quarter finals in Istanbul. She lost in the first round in Rome last year but then made the third round at the French Open.
Bertens is likely to make a slow start but I favour her to win. Back Bertens if she gets broken first or loses set 1.
Update: Bertens DID make a slow start and was 0-5 down. She made a recovery and won the next 4 games but still lost the set. In set 2 she took the first 3 games. She then seemed to give up and lost 6 of the next 7 games.
Hercog won 6-4, 6-4.
