Typy na mecz Berfu Cengiz — Han Shi

Berfu Cengiz faces Han Shi in the WTA Ankara quarterfinal on Friday, September 25, at 11:00 UTC. Shi arrives with the deeper hard-court résumé, but Cengiz has found her feet on this court quickly enough to make the winner price interesting.

Cengiz finds her hard-court footing

Cengiz’s summer run to the Gran Canaria final came on clay, so her two Ankara wins matter more here. She beat world No. 165 Martyna Kubka 6-2, 6-4, then got through a tight first set against Aysegul Mert before closing out a 7-6(2), 6-2 win.

Shi has spent far more of this season winning on hard courts. Her 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 victory over No. 216 Ayla Aksu showed her ability to reset after a difficult set, though it also showed that a flying start does not always make for a short afternoon.

Why the home player has a shot

The Kubka win is the result that makes Cengiz’s case. She held firm against stronger opposition than her ranking might suggest, and against Mert she kept applying return pressure after an awkward opening set. That combination gives her a route into this match rather than leaving her dependent on Shi having an off day.

Shi’s hard-court record makes her dangerous, particularly if she takes control early. But Cengiz has already handled one higher-ranked opponent in Ankara, and 2.39 is a generous price for her to do it again.