- Katie Boulter v Daria Kasatkina | H2H: First Meeting
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Katie Boulter is the first of the Brits to kick off in main draw singles action on the first day of the Australian Open.
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H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Katie Boulter v Daria Kasatkina | First Meeting |
| Australian Open | Melbourne, Australia |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: A$100,000 |
| Scheduled second on Court 16, not before 1pm (2am GMT) | Tennis TV/Eurosport Player if available
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READ MORE | Tennis | Australian Open 2021 | Latest Schedule, Draws, Results & How to Watch
Preview: Katie Boulter v Daria Kasatkina | H2H: First Meeting
It was a solid start to the year for both Katie Boulter, who is making use of her protected ranking after returning to action following missing out most of 2019 with a stress fracture in her back, and a welcome return to form from Daria Kasatkina.
With the benefit of one more tournament than Boulter this year, Kasatkina might look to be a little more match fit, but Boulter gained a lot of confidence with two solid wins, including beating Coco Gauff, but struggled a lot against returning the kind of firepower Naomi Osaka started to deliver after she lost the first set to the Brit.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2021) (Source: Tennis Abstract)
| H2H: | Daria Kasatkina (71) | Katie Boulter (371) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R3 (2016) | R2 (2019) |
| 1st Serve Return Points Won % | 40.4 | 28.7 |
| Return Points Won % | 44.4 | 43.1 |
| Break Point Conversion % | 61.9 | 68.7 |
| Break Points Saved % | 51.2 | 61.1 |
| Total Points Won % | 53.3 | 53.3 |
Playing Styles
Kasatkina plays a beautifully craft game from the baseline, and has a lot of variety so Boulter can expect all sorts to come at her – top-spin slices, drop-shots – the works. Kasatkina excels in mixing up the temp and trying to disrupt the rhythm of her opponents, so Boulter will have to be ready to scamper about as well as trading blows from the baseline.
Boulter plays an aggressive game so will want to get that return stat up as much as possible against the kind of kick-serves that Kasatkina can throw in, and she relied on her powerful forehand.
Prediction
What impressed the most this past week is the confidence that Boulter displayed against far more experienced players. This is still a tough ask. Kasatkina seems to have put a disappointing 2020 where she struggled with her form a lot and this year has seen glimpses of her best.
Prediction: Kasatkina in three sets
Boulter and Kasatkina are scheduled second on Court 16, not before 1pm (2am GMT).
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