It all comes down to this match. After a week of thrilling action at the Korea Open, the final two remain. It will be a battle between two experienced stars, Daria Kasatkina and Beatriz Haddad Maia. With the four Grand Slam tournaments done and dusted, players are vying to cap off their seasons on a high during the Asian Swing. Shnaider and Kasatkina have a wonderful opportunity to do exactly that.

Very little separates the players in terms of recent form and thus, it promises to be a thrilling encounter that the fans will be eagerly looking forward to.

Daria Kasatkina vs Diana Shnaider: Preview

Coming into the tournament as the top seed and a hot favorite, Daria Kasatkina has barely broken a sweat in her journey here. She has cruised through to the final and is yet to lose a set in Seoul this year. Despite the path not being the easiest, she comfortably overcame the challenges from the likes of Emma Raducanu and Diana Shnaider en route to her final run.

Despite winning a title at the Rothesay International earlier this season, Kasatkina is hungry for more success. Additionally, she has had a consistent run this year and is lingering around the top 10 of the WTA rankings. A win here would surely bolster her chances to finish the 2024 season inside the top 10. Thus, the match holds immense importance for Kasatkina.

Meanwhile, Haddad Maia has had a fairly similar run to Kasatkina at the Korea Open, albeit an interesting one. She is yet to be tested here, winning all her matches in straight sets. She went on to defeat the Kudermetova sisters, Polina and Veronika in the quarterfinal and the semifinal, respectively. The Brazilian star is yet to win a title this year and will be looking to salvage her disappointing campaign by her standards.

Kasatkina vs Haddad Maia: Head-to-head

“[Haddad Maia] never gives up, and she’s an amazing player, I have to prepare well for this match,” Kasatkina said after entering the final. Surely, she knows a thing or two about her Brazilian opponent, having played against her thrice. However, Daria Kasatkina has managed to prevail just once in those battles, which was at the Abu Dhabi Open earlier this year.

On the other hand, Haddad Maia won both the matches played against Kasatkina last year, one at the Qatar Open and the other in the WTA Elite Trophy. With a tight head-to-head record, expect a close battle on the cards.

Prediction: Kasatkina to win the Korea Open title

“I’m just enjoying myself, enjoying being in the final. A little bit of joy now, and then come back to the office tomorrow,” said Kasatkina after defeating her compatriot, Diana Shnaider in the semifinal. Having lived up to her top billing, Kasatkina goes into the final as the favorite to lift the title. She is ranked 4 spots above her opponent at the 13th spot in the WTA rankings. Additionally, she has had a better win percentage than Haddad Maia in 2024, winning a little more than 60% of the games as against Haddad Maia’s 55%.

Another big advantage for Kasatkina has been her return of serves. During her match against a big-serving Shnaider, she won almost 60% of the return points. On the other hand, Haddad Maia seemed to struggle in her service games, even during easy wins at the tournament.

Kasatkina is expected to level the scores against Haddad Maia and win the summit clash in straight sets. The final will be played at the Center Court tomorrow.