Top seed and World No. 17 Elise Mertens faces the Spaniard and 181st-ranked Lara Arruabarrena in the first round of the 2021 WTA Istanbul Open on Tuesday, April 20. Get the live streaming options of this Elise Mertens v Lara Arruabarrena match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
Looking to watch 2021 WTA Istanbul Open live streaming online?
- For tennis fans in the UK, Europe, Australia & elsewhere go to bet365 > Tennis > Live Streaming here* to watch & bet on the ATP & WTA tennis live.
- Get all the other WTA Istanbul Open 2021 live streaming options here
[the_ad id=”43630″]
*Advertisement. Geo-restrictions apply & pre-funded account needed
Elise Mertens v Lara Arruabarrena Head to Head
This will be the first competitive match between 25-year-old Elise Mertens and Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena. However, the Belgian, with her recent exploits on the WTA tour, is in rich form and also has experience to overcome the challenge of the Spaniard in this encounter.
Also Read:
Mertens Looks to Shrug off Her Charleston Loss
Mertens, who is known for her prowess on the hard courts, isn’t a bad performer on the red dirt either. In fact, she has an excellent record on the clay, winning two of her six career titles on the surface. Besides, capturing two trophies on clay, she has also made it through to four finals on the dirt, with her most recent final appearance coming in Prague last year.
There’s no denying the fact that Mertens’ quick footwork and her consistent and powerful groundstrokes from the baseline are extremely potent weapons on the dirt. If that wasn’t enough, the Belgian has a great first serve, which can win her a lot of easy points, even on clay. And winning easy points on the slow surface is certainly a luxury.
Mertens started the year from where she left off last season, accomplishing some fine results on the women’s circuit in 2021. She launched her season by bagging the sixth singles title of her career at the Gippsland Trophy and then followed it up with yet another impressive showing in Dubai, where she progressed through to the semifinals.
However, she somehow lost her form as soon as she landed on clay as she suffered a shock loss to former World No. 11 Alize Cornet of France in the first round of the tournament in Charleston.
But a 5-7, 3-6 defeat at the hands of the Frenchwoman could be called as a blip in a season, which has been quite good for the Belgian. The top seed will be determined to bounce back in Turkey and would definitely want to win some matches in Istanbul.
[the_ad id=”30344″]
*Use Promocode Join125 to Get Up To $2500 Sign-Up Bonus with BetUS Here
Lara Arruabarrena’s Form on a Downward Spiral
Mertens’ challenger in Istanbul’s opening round is the 181st-ranked Lara Arruabarrena. The Spaniard, who was ranked as high as World No. 52 in the world, has been struggling of late. Arruabarrena, a two-time titlist on the WTA tour, but her form has been on a downward spiral in recent times.
The Spaniard’s only performance of note during the season came in Bogota, where she reached the quarterfinals after coming through from the qualifiers, eventually winning four matches in succession. Arruabarrena, who has been born and brought up on the clay courts of Spain, and her run to the quarterfinals of the tournament in Bogota, will certainly, give her some confidence ahead of her clash with Mertens.
Mertens v Arruabarrena Prediction and Tip
There’s no doubt that Mertens will be the overwhelming favourite in her battle against Arruabarrena. While the Belgian’s form has been on the rise in recent days, Arruabarrena have experienced a prolonged slump in form. Also, Mertens’ have tasted a lot of success on the red dirt, including two title triumphs on the surface. On the other hand, Arruabarrena, who has grown up on clay, has failed to achieve a string of good results on the dirt.
Tip: Mertens to win straight sets: 6/4 (bet365)
[the_ad id=”30513″]
The 2021 WTA Istanbul Open will be played from April 19 to 25. You can watch & bet on these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
Be the first to comment