Ashleigh Barty vs Aryna Sabalenka: Madrid Open Final Prediction | Preview | H2H Analysis

Top seed Ashleigh Barty faces the in-form fifth-seeded Aryna Sabalenka in the finals of the Mutua Madrid Open. 

Ashleigh Barty vs Aryna Sabalenka: Madrid Open Preview

Ashleigh Barty ended the dream run of Spaniard wildcard Paula Badosa Gibert beating her 6-4 6-3 in convincing fashion in the semifinals of the Madrid Open. 

The Australian pounded 30 winners, smashed 6 aces, clinched 74.3% of points on her first serve, and also saved an impressive 4 out of 5 breakpoints. 

Paula Badosa was let down by a poor second-serve winning percentage of just 47.1%. It was a great revenge victory for the World number 1 after losing to Paula Badosa Gilbert in straight sets in the quarterfinals of the WTA - Charleston Open last month. 

On the other hand, Aryna Sabalenka routed the Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2 6-3 in just 63 minutes in the other semifinals of the Madrid Open. 

The Belarusian clinched 73.68% of points on her second serve and also converted 4 out of 5 breakpoints in the semis. 

Ashleigh Barty vs Aryna Sabalenka: Head to Head Record

Ashleigh Barty leads the head-to-head record by a close margin of 4-3 against Sabalenka. 

They recently faced off on clay in the WTA - Stuttgart Open finals last month which the Australian won in three sets.

 Barty vs Sabalenka: Madrid Open Key Insights

• Ashleigh Barty is targetting her fourth title of the season with a win in the Madrid Open Finals. 
• The Australian has not lost a match on the red dirt in almost two years indicating her strong dominance on the surface.
• Sabalenka will be aiming for her third trophy this season after winning the (Abu Dhabi Open in January and the Australian Open doubles title with Elise Mertens in February).
• Barty has won a staggering 16 matches in a row on clay.
• Sabalenka has an impressive 23-6 win-loss record in 2021.
• Ashleigh Barty has the best win-loss record (25-3) on the WTA Tour this season.
• Barty is playing in her first-ever Madrid Open final in her career.
• Sabalenka is featuring in her third singles final in 2021 (Abu Dhabi Open and WTA-500 Stuttgart Open).

A.Barty vs A.Sabalenka: Madrid Open Game Analysis

Ashleigh Barty's key weapons are a clever backhand slice, a wicked drop shot, and the well-placed lobs. 

She can punish her opponents severely when they play loose forehands. The Australian hardly gives away points on her serve when she gets going in full flow.

Sabalenka has not lost a single set yet in the Madrid Open. 

The 23-year-old has conceded only 18 games in 5 matches in the highly competitive WTA-1000 tournament. 

The Belarusian is a power-hitter who takes the ball on the rise. She has displayed more patience in the long rallies through her smart court coverage.

The Australian can expect a series of winners to come from Aryna Sabalenka's powerful forehand and solid two-handed backhand. The top seed, Barty, will try to put Sabalenka far behind the baseline in the Madrid Open Final. 

The Aussie will be a bit worried about her huge count of unforced errors after committing 23 against Paula in the quarters.

Ashleigh Barty will have a slight edge against the Belarusian due to her all-round game and cool demeanor under pressure. If Sabalenka does not find her rhythm early into the match, Barty will romp to another title without facing any difficulty.

Barty has defeated Sabalenka two times (three sets each) this year. The World number 1 will target a hat-trick of victories against the 5th seed. 

Prediction - Ashleigh Barty to win in three sets against Aryna Sabalenka and clinch the Madrid Open 2021

Featured Image Credits - WTA