Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA 's-Hertogenbosch match.
The second round of the tournament in 's-Hertogenbosch features an all-Russian clash as Anna Blinkova takes on Ekaterina Alexandrova for a place in the quarter-finals. Alexandrova enters as the clear favourite — she’s higher in the rankings and far more comfortable on grass, a surface that continues to trouble Blinkova.
Anna Blinkova
Blinkova has historically struggled on grass, winning just 25 of her 49 matches on the surface. This season hasn't been much kinder — she's reached the third round in only three of 11 tournaments. That said, she did start strongly in the Netherlands, dispatching Katerina Siniakova with authority (6:3, 6:1). Still, the Czech put in a lacklustre showing, landing just 55% of her first serves and committing seven double faults — hardly a benchmark victory.
Ekaterina Alexandrova
Alexandrova, meanwhile, is in excellent form. She has won 12 of her last 16 matches, with all three recent defeats coming against top-20 opponents. Her grass-court record is equally solid: 16 wins in 21 matches over the past two years, including a title here in 's-Hertogenbosch in 2023. In her opening match of the current edition, she swept aside Mariam Bolkvadze (No.189) with 10 aces and an 81% success rate on first serve — numbers that underline her dominance on this surface.
Anna Blinkova vs Ekaterina Alexandrova Prediction
Blinkova has been inconsistent all season, while Alexandrova continues to dispatch lower-ranked opponents with ease, especially on grass. Given the latter's recent run of form and her comfort level in 's-Hertogenbosch, this looks like a straightforward outcome.
