Emma Raducanu had a good week in Abu Dhabi and now hopes to back that up with another good week at the 2024 Qatar Open, where she'll play Anhelina Kalinina in the first round.
When we speak about Raducanu and her comeback, we have to underline the need for matches. She won't get better unless she plays a lot of matches, which will also benefit her fitness.
Unfortunately, it's been called into question in the past, and she did a good job with that in Abu Dhabi. She won one match, ensuring another, though that one wasn't very good, and it was a loss.
The hope at the WTA 1000 event in Doha, in which she got a wild card, is similar. It's a bigger event, so she obviously wants to do better because of more points on offer. The opponent is a tough but measured one. Kalinina is not a hard-court specialist, but she can beat any opponent.
Head-to-head:
That's exactly what happened the last time they played each other. It was in Madrid, on clay, which Kalinina favored more, and she won. It was a competitive match that went to three sets, but Raducanu gave her a chance, and Kalinina took it to beat the Brit 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
It did show that Raducanu would generally have the upper hand in the matchup because she's just a better hitter, especially in faster conditions. Doha should favor her style of play more, but then again, it depends on how well Raducanu plays.
| Emma Raducanu | Anhelina Kalinina | |
| 0 | H2H | 1 |
| 296 | Rank | 32 |
| 21 | Age | 27 |
| 2-2 | 2024 W/L | 0-3 |
| 100-51 | Career W/L | 59-58 |
Prediction:
I've liked what I've seen from the Brit recently, and I think it's only going to get better. So I'll back her to get the job done because I think on hard courts, these types of matches are must-win for her.
Prediction: Raducanu to win in 3 sets.
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