Pauline Parmentier vs Polona Hercog Tennis Prediction
The Istanbul finalists last met in the first round of 2011 Bogota (clay). Hercog came from a set down, saved three match points in the second and secured the win 6-7 7-6 6-2. In 2010, at the same tournament, they played together as a doubles team. Polona Hercog is the better player on clay and expect her to have the upper hand in this contest.
Polona Hercog News
Polona Hercog roars into her first WTA final in nearly six years with a commanding win over Maria Sakkari, 6-4 6-2, in an hour and 29 minutes. Hercog, the first Slovenian in an Istanbul final, is bidding to be first 2018 WTA singles title winner from her country.
Hercog’s only titles are 2011 and 2012 Bastad, the latter one being her last tour-level final as well. In 2011, at the age of 20, she registered her career high rank of #35, propped by the Bastad title and a runner-up appearance at Palermo.
After dropping out of top 50 in July 2012, Hercog was never able to fulfill the promise she showed as a teenager, with constant injury concerns being a big reason. She made eight WTA quarterfinals from 2013 to 2017, turning only one to a semifinal.
In August 2016, Hercog went on a nine-month break to address her shoulder, left knee, and right wrist injuries, finishing a season outside top 100 for the first time since 2008. Next week, she will rise to #54 with the Istanbul trophy, up from #265 last July.
Her comeback trail in 2017 was highlighted by six ITF titles (all on clay) and the third round at Wimbledon (first slam third round since 2010), where she lost to Kuznetsova. She avenged that defeat by upsetting the Russian in a three-setter, earlier this week.
Pauline Parmentier News
Pauline Parmentier has halted the downward spiral her season was in (2-15 in all levels, before this week), by putting together a completely unexpected run at the Istanbul Cup and reaching her first tour-level final since 2008.
After defeating wildcard Ayla Aksu and #83 Putintseva, Parmentier was fortunate to receive a retirement win from top seed and the Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinal. It was the 32-year-old Frenchwoman’s first top 10 win (1-15).
In the semifinals, the Istanbul debutante took on the last surviving seed of the tournament, #37 Irina-Camelia Begu. After an hour and 47 minutes, she stunned the Romanian 6-3 6-4, and hence, securing her first win over Begu in her fourth attempt.
#122 Parmentier is the lowest-ranked finalist in the Istanbul Cup history. This distinction previously belonged to 2016 champion Cagla Buyukakcay. Moreover, this is the second time two unseeded players will fight for the Istanbul title (2016, Buyukakcay and Kovinic).
Prior to this week, Parmentier had reached two WTA finals in her career, 2008 Bad Gastein (def. Hradecka) and 2007 Tashkent (def. 18-year-old Azarenka). She is the second Frenchwoman to reach a final here, after Aravane Rezai (2007, l. to Dementieva).
Tennis Prediction: Polona Hercog
Odds: 1.53
