Linda Noskova vs Liudmila Samsonova Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Cincinnati Open

Prediction published on 14/08/2023, 09:01  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 17/08/2023 at 08:41 in Tennis Predictions

Liudmila Samsonova faces qualiifer Linda Noskova in the first round of the Western & Southern Open. For the winner of this match the scheduled second round opponents are either ninth seeded Petra Kvitova or Anna Blinkova. Samsonova is up to a career high 12th in the rankings after reaching the final of the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreai. That was an outdoor hard court event just like this one in Cincinnati. Her run to the final saw her beat Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Belinda Bencic. Twice she had to play two matches in a day due to bad weather and that eventually caught up with her. Only one game was won in the final against Jennifer Pegula. Her good form cannot be denied though and it followed a semi-final in Washington in her previous tournament. With this match taking place on Tuesday the Russian should have recovered well from her Montreal run.

Linda Noskova is ranked 50th in the latest ranking list. The Czech is five places below her career high achieved in June of this year. Her last tournament was the hard court event held in Prague and Noskova made it all the way to the final. No top 80 ranked players were beaten though to get that far and in the title decider she lost to Nao Hibino. The Japanese player was ranked 136th at the time. Noskova also got to the last eight in  Warsaw, being beaten by Iga Swiatek. 2023 began well for her with a run to the final in Adelaide and a quarter final was reached in Lyon. At times she does blow hot and cold and it's Samsonova who we tip to win this match.