Ekaterina Alexandrova looked great in her 6-3, 6-0 win over Ann Li at the Credit One Charleston Open on Wednesday. But the 30-year-old is in for a big jump in competition as she looks to defeat world No. 14 Diana Shnaider.
Shnaider, who I mentioned as a “player to watch” before this tournament began, hasn’t had the greatest start to 2025. The lefty is just 8-8 in WTA-level matches. But Shnaider did earn a 6-3, 6-2 win over Polina Kudermetova in the Round of 32, and she’s fresh off a doubles title in Miami. This might be the start of a big turnaround for the talented young ball striker, and I like the price we can get on her to beat her older countrywoman.
Alexandrova is a player that can be very dangerous, as she’s an aggressive baseliner that plays with her front foot forward and has a rock-solid serve. However, most of Alexandrova’s success has come on faster hard courts. She’s 135-100 on hard courts in her career, and that includes a 17-13 record over the last 52 weeks, plus a title run in Linz earlier this year. But Alexandrova is just 35-42 on clay in her career, and she’s 2-7 on the dirt over the last 52 weeks. Some of those losses were rather ugly, too.
