Daria Kasatkina vs Anna Blinkova National Bank Open Preview and Expert Tip: Kasatkina to Grind Down Countrywoman

Daria Kasatkina vs Anna Blinkova (National Bank Open): Wednesday, August 9th

Nice win with Marketa Vondrousova who didn’t even look all that sharp en route to a dominant straight sets victory against Mayar Sherif.

For Wednesday’s tennis from Montreal, let’s take a look at the Daria Kasatkina vs Anna Blinkova on the WTA side of the National Bank Open.

Daria Kasatkina vs Anna Blinkova Expert Tip

I’ll take Kasatkina in this all-Russian tilt on Wednesday. I trust her consistency and point construction more and think it takes a bit more pop from one’s game than Blinkova has to offer to really trouble Kasatkina on most days.

I’ll back her to take this one in efficient fashion.

Read on for more expert insights.

• Expert Tip: Kasatkina -5 Games at 2.06 with Pinnacle, using 3/10 stakes.

Daria Kasatkina Recent Form

The 26-year-old didn’t get off to a great start to the summer hard-court swing, as she lost to a familiar opponent in Elina Svitolina, who has always seemed to have her number.

She bounced back by beating Elise Mertens – just as she did a week ago – in her opening match in relatively dominant fashion, and should be confident heading into Wednesday’s tilt.

The ever-consistent battler from the baseline should be able to extract the errors from an aggressive, but not overly powerful Blinkova that will help her get the job done and advance in Montreal.

Anna Blinkova Recent Form

The younger of the two Russians has had a mixed bag of a 2023 campaign.

She opened the season with a deep run down under in the Tasmanian city of Hobart, with a run to the semifinals as a qualifier, losing only to the eventual champion in Lauren Davis.

After that, however, she won just seven matches in her next 11 events, including a few stops at the lower ITF and WTA 125K levels.

Then it was a relatively successful stretch from the week prior to the French Open through Wimbledon, at least compared to where expectations had fallen after a thoroughly disappointing run of form.

Barely beating Shuai Zhang in her opening match here and losing to talented junior, but brand new Clervie Ngounoue hasn’t been the most inspiring start to the hard-court season this summer though.

Her game kind of matches her inconsistent season, as she can hit through both her forehand and backhand, but can also be incredibly inconsistent and error prone.

She’ll need both her consistency and top end of her power game to trouble her compatriot in this one.

Daria Kasatkina vs Anna Blinkova H2H – Stat of the Match

This is the first time the two Russians have met professionally.

Statistically, this is shaping as one that is a return-oriented affair. Without the requisite power to hit through the lighter-hitting Kasatkina, one has to think that the racquet is on the racquet of the world No. 14.

Blinkova has struggled over the last year to win a high rate of points on serve, while Kasatkina is one of the best returners in the women’s game.

By virtue of Kasatkina’s softer serve, Blinkova should see some opportunities in that regard of her own, but her more wayward game from the baseline should prove a bit more costly in trying to convert as many.

Kasatkina should be primed for a straightforward victory.

Odds as at 2:00 am UK Time on August 9th, 2023. Odds may now differ.

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