WTA Montreal Preview: Clara Tauson vs Yuliia Starodubtseva
🧠 Form & Context
Clara Tauson
- 🔥 Career-best season: Delivering her most consistent tennis to date, highlighted by a Dubai final and a top-20 debut.
- 💪 Hard-court standout: 16–6 on hard in 2025, including marquee wins over Sabalenka, Rybakina, and Muchova.
- 🚀 Easy opener: Breezed past Bronzetti 6–1, 6–2 in Round 2—her first career win on Canadian soil.
- 📈 Big-match tested: Reached the second week of all three Slams this season, proving she can beat top-tier players across surfaces.
Yuliia Starodubtseva
- 📈 Breakout run: Into the third round of a WTA 1000 for just the second time after dismantling Frech 6–1, 6–1.
- ⏳ Battle-tested: Survived a grueling 3:16 R1 battle against Wang Yafan, her third come-from-behind win this summer.
- 💥 Upside flashes: Solid WTA 1000 showings in Madrid (R16), Roland Garros (R3), and now Montreal reflect a rising trajectory.
- 📊 Hard inconsistency: Entered the tournament with a 7–9 hard-court record in 2025, but is gaining traction with back-to-back wins.
🔍 Match Breakdown
Tauson’s compact, aggressive baseline game and heavy serve present a clear problem for players who rely on timing and rhythm. She thrives when allowed to dictate, and against lower-ranked opponents who can’t neutralize her pace, she’s been close to automatic.
Starodubtseva enters with momentum after a career-best performance against Frech, but the quick turnaround from a physically exhausting first-round marathon might catch up to her. Her high-risk game can work in short bursts, but maintaining that level over multiple matches has been the challenge.
This match pits a player peaking in form and confidence (Tauson) against a qualifier-style fighter catching form in a good week. Unless the Dane gets pulled into prolonged defense or mentally fades, she should handle this assignment efficiently.
🔮 Prediction
Prediction: Clara Tauson in 2 sets – Expect at least one tight set, but Tauson’s firepower, experience, and mental consistency make her the favorite to pull through cleanly. Starodubtseva may compete well, but the edge in weapons and recovery lies with the Dane.
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