A rather unexpected final awaits at the 2024 San Diego Open, with Katie Boulter taking on Marta Kostyuk.
Boulter has played an amazing event so far. She bested notable players like Beatriz Haddad Maia, Donna Vekic, and Emma Navarro en route to the final. Kostyuk has had a pretty good week as well, with the win over Jessica Pegula in the semi-final, which was by far the most impressive victory.
It's an interesting final at the WTA 500 tournament between two very aggressive players. Both are capable hitters and have a decent serve, so this will boil down to who performs better on the day. Still, there are some noteworthy things to mention.
Head-to-head:
Boulter and Kostyuk never played against each other, which complicates things a little bit when it comes to predicting. The Brit has played with tremendous confidence this week, hitting all corners of the court. She's served well as well and simply looks as locked in as a player can.
The week was a bit more complicated for the Ukrainian even the semi-final where she was down 1-5 to Pegula. Overcoming all of that is a testament to her fighting spirit, but that might be a problem for the final. Boulter has looked unshakble and early leads were punished all week long.
| Katie Boulter | Marta Kostyuk | |
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 49 | Rank | 34 |
| 27 | Age | 21 |
| 6-3 | 2024 W/L | 8-4 |
| 292-184 | Career W/L | 188-112 |
Prediction:
Both players are having 'one of those weeks' when things simply click for them. I must say that Boulter has looked a bit more impressive because she's been so stable with her game, and on top of that, her boyfriend, Alex de Minaur will come to support her after winning the title in Acapulco.
Nobody really managed to shake her, and I just think that will matter in a final like this. The Brit might be a slight underdog according to the odds but I think she will step up and seal the win ensuring a Top 30 debut on Monday.
Prediction: Katie Boulter to win in three sets.
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