Adelaide International 2 2023: Petra Kvitova vs Zheng Qinwen preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match details
Fixture: (12) Petra Kvitova vs Zheng Qinwen
Date: January 7, 2023
Tournament: Adelaide International 2
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, Adelaide, Australia
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $826,837
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Petra Kvitova vs Zheng Qinwen preview
Two big servers — Petra Kvitova and Zheng Qinwen — will battle for a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Adelaide International 2 on Wednesday (January 11)
Kvitova, the 12th seed at the tournament, opened her season with a 3-0 record. She has already beaten quality opponents in the form of World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, the seasoned Laura Seigemund and fellow Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina without dropping a set.
The Czech will be keen to carry the winning momentum deeper into the Adelaide International.
Zheng, for her part, has posted three wins of her own this week. The Chinese player beat Mia Repac in her first match, before battling past Anastasia Potapova to book her spot in the main draw — where she ousted Shelby Rogers in another three-set encounter.
Having had her breakthrough season in 2022, Zheng would be under some pressure to live up to the expectations in her sophomore season.
The youngster lost a tight second-round encounter to Victoria Azarenka at the Adelaide International 1. Up against another Grand Slam champion at the same stage, she will look to reverse the outcome.
Petra Kvitova vs Zheng Qinwen head-to-head
Petra Kvitova and Zheng Qinwen have never played each other on court, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Petra Kvitova vs Zheng Qinwen odds
(Odds will be added once they're available)
Petra Kvitova vs Zheng Qinwen prediction
Petra Kvitova will enter the contest intent to keep her winning run in 2023 going. The Czech's serve and return game have been on point in the first two weeks of the season.
The 12th seed never faced a break point — and dropped 14 points on serve — in the contest against Rybakina. She also managed both sets really well and broke her opponent at the back end of both sets to close out a tight win.
Against an aggressive opponent in the form of Zheng Qinwen, the Czech will once again need to rely on her strengths to keep her opponent at bay. The Chinese player possesses a few weapons of her own — a big first serve and a lethal forehand in particular.
When at her best, Kvitova can be really hard to play and if she can continue to play with the sort of restrained aggression that she has so far, Zheng could be in for a whole lot of trouble.
Prediction: Petra Kvitova to win two tight sets