Adelaide International 1 2023: Ons Jabeur vs Marta Kostyuk preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match details
Fixture: (1) Ons Jabeur vs Marta Kostyuk.
Date: January 6, 2023.
Tournament: Adelaide International 1.
Round: Quarterfinals.
Venue: Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, Adelaide, Australia.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $826,837.
Match timing: Not before 6:30 pm local time, 8:00 am GMT, 1.30 pm IST, 3:00 am EST.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Ons Jabeur vs Marta Kostyuk preview
Top seed Ons Jabeur and rising star Marta Kostyuk will square off on Friday with a place in the semifinals of the Adelaide International 1 up for grabs.
Jabeur has arrived Down Under following a career-best season that saw her create history for Tunisia with runner-up finishes at Wimbledon and the US Open. The 28-year-old also won the biggest title of her career at the WTA 1000 Madrid Open on clay before adding the WTA 500 grass title in Berlin to her kitty.
She also made the finals in Rome and Charleston, along with six other quarterfinal appearances. Jabeur's exploits propelled her to a career-high No. 2 spot in the world rankings.
The Tunisian warmed up for the 2023 season by successfully defending her title at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi last month.
She played her first match of the new season against 45th-ranked Sorana Cirstea in Adelaide on Thursday. The top seed broke her opponent four times to secure a 7-6 (3), 6-1 win.
Marta Kostyuk, a 20-year-old upcoming star from Ukraine, reached the quarterfinals or better just once in 21 events in the entire 2022 season. However, the former junior Australian Open champion has made a thunderous start to 2023, reaching the quarterfinals in her very first tournament of the year.
Kostyuk made it to the main draw in Adelaide after winning two rounds of qualifying. She then edged Jaimee Fourlis and Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in three tight sets to make the last eight.
The World No. 69 will be keen to keep going and build confidence ahead of the Australian Open.
Ons Jabeur vs Marta Kostyuk head-to-head
Jabeur and Kostyuk have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head remains tied at a 0-0 deadlock.
Ons Jabeur vs Marta Kostyuk odds
(Odds will be added once they're available)
Ons Jabeur vs Marta Kostyuk prediction
This will be an exciting battle between youth and experience.
Kostyuk is finally showing signs of living up to her early promise. The youngster hasn't had a smooth road to victory in each of her two main-draw matches this week, but has managed to come through unscathed under pressure. That will be a huge boost for her ahead of what could be a tough encounter against Jabeur.
Kostyuk will look to strike it big past the Tunisian but the World No. 2 has looked extremely solid and consistent to start the year. Her ability to mix up her baseline hitting with a wide array of deft touches and dropshots could puncture her young opponent's rhythm.
Besides, Kostyuk has already played four matches this week, while Jabeur has played just one. The extra energy is likely to tilt the balance in the two-time Grand Slam runner-up's favor if push comes to shove.
Pick: Ons Jabeur to win in straight sets.