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French Open 2019: Saturday Roland Garros Schedule and Bracket Predictions
June 7, 2019
Czech sensation Marketa Vondrousova will face No. 8 seed Ashleigh Barty in the women's final of the 2019 French Open on Saturday.
The 19-year-old proved her reputation as one of the game's hottest talents as she shocked Johanna Konta in straight sets in the semi-final.
Barty defeated Amanda Anisimova of the United States in the last four, prevailing in a tough three-set affair.
The Australian will be the slight favourite, but like her opponent, she is appearing in her first Grand Slam final.
Barty and Vondrousova will take to the court at Roland Garros from 3 p.m. (BST)/10 a.m (ET) after the conclusion of the delayed men's semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem.
Saturday Preview
It was a hard day at the office for Barty as she navigated choppy waters to eliminate the rising star of Anisimova, and she will be asked to repeat the feat as she faces Vondrousova.
Anisimova and Vondrousova are two of the best teenagers in women's tennis, and Barty will need to be at her best to resist the youthful challenger.
At 23, Barty is by no means wildly experienced, and she enters new territory as the final seed remaining at a major competition.
Vondrousova stands at No. 38 in the world rankings and produced a fantastic display to beat an in-form Konta.
The youngster was under heavy pressure from the British No. 1 but resisted her best shots as she returned with accuracy and venom.
Roland Garros' official Twitter account highlighted the Czech player as she stood on the brink of victory:
Barty had to work hard to stay in the competition against Anisimova, with the 17-year-old on the edge of a significant breakthrough in her career.
The Aussie dropped the first set via a tie-break and was forced to move through the gears to edge the encounter.
Barty won the final two sets, 6-3, 6-3, and she has slowly but surely proved herself to be one of the best on the current circuit.
The New York Times' Christopher Clarey explained how difficult it was for Barty to get a foothold in the match:
Barty has been consistent in the 28 tournaments she has played this year, but Vondrousova will be high on confidence after beating a top-class opponent in the semi-finals.
Konta would have believed a berth in the final was in her reach, but Vondrousova appears to have the versatility to deal with multiple challenges in a match.
Barty proved her incredible resilience against Anisimova, but the titanic and tiring effort it took to make the final could give Vondrousova a slim but telling advantage.
Prediction: Vondrousova to win in three sets.