ok so Barthel(41) just learned she is going to the Olympics
and will play Singles for Germany. She's going to be the one with jitters,
not Hercog(86), who has known she's going for a very long time,
being little Slovenia's top tennis player.
Hercog has beaten Pironkova(62) and Georges(24) in her last 2 matches
at Swedish Open. Barthel beat Bondarenko(87 who has a losing record
on Clay) and Bertens(72).
The books have Barthel as the favorite, why ? Only because she
ranks higher than Hercog. But Hercog has beaten stiffer competition
in this tournament. No H2H. First match. Both 21/22 yrs old.
Clay is by far Hercog's best surface. She is a whopping 107-48
on Clay but a terrible 28-42 on Hard, and 2-5 on Grass.
She rules on Clay and drools on all others.
Barthel is a more balanced player who is mostly equal on all surfaces
and is only 34-24 on Clay.
Here's the kicker. Hercog is the defending champion. She beat Sweden's
own Johanna Larsson in last year's finals and we could see a rematch.
Are linesmakers only looking at the rankings to determine the lines ?
Has the sharp action not hit yet ?
Polona Hercog +160