Jelena Ostapenko vs Clara Tauson Prediction & Betting Tips - Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Prediction published on 18/09/2021, 15:26  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 18/09/2021 at 16:26 in Tennis Predictions

Jelena Ostapenko bids to retain her Luxembourg Open title. The third seed takes on the unseeded 18-year-old Clara Tauson from Denmark in the final. This tournament didn't take place last year and in 2019, Ostapenko was the winner, beating the defending champion Julia Gorges in the final. The 24-year-old began this week ranked 30th but has gone up a place in the live rankings and will be 27th if winning this title. Ostapenko has already won one title this year, winning the grass court title at Eastbourne.  Ostapenko didn't play the recent US Open but has returned in good form this week. Wins have come against Julie Niemeier,  Arianne Honta (in three sets), eighth seeded Alize Cornet and in the semi-final, number seven seed Liudmila Samsonova. 

Clara Tauson began this year ranked 152nd but began this tournament at a career high 70th. Her run to this final has her up to 53rd in the rankings. The Dane was the recent winner of a WTA125 event held in Chicago, beating Emma Raducanu in the final. That was her second title of the year having won in Lyon six months ago. Before that, Tauson had won ITF titles in the UAE and Germany, so it's been a big year for the teenager.  To get to this final, the Dane has beaten Astra Sharma, fourth seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova (in three sets), Maria Bouzkhova and in the last four, the fifth seed, Marketa Vondrousova in three sets. This is the first match she's played against Ostapenko. Go for the defending champion to retain her title.