I watched the WTA Qatar Total Open 2020 semi-final today between Svetlana Kuznetsova & Aryna Sabalenka and it soon became clear this would be a match between youth and experience. The youthful 21-year old Belarusian Sabalenka; opting for raw power; against the wily 34 year-old Kuznetsova; owner of 2 Grand Slam titles and a former top-drawer name in the WTA world.
Early on: you could see Kuznetsova using her variety and experience to try and befuddle Sabalenka's game; throwing in drop shots; softer first serves and spins to negate her opponent feeding off her power; and it was a pretty close game at he start. But slowly Sabalenka adjusted accordingly and brought her power to full bear; with her inside-out forehand proving particularly damaging. She was also so stable in this game; bearing total control throughout the match and making precious few errors. Kuznetsova was also somehow seemingly stuck in second gear; unable to raise her game to the lofty heights she had showed earlier in the tournament.
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