Charleston 2021: Andrea Petkovic vs Yulia Putintseva preview, head-to-head & prediction | Volvo Car Open
Match details
Fixture: Andrea Petkovic vs Yulia Putintseva
Date: 5 April 2021
Tournament:Volvo Car Open 2021
Round: First round (Round of 64)
Venue: Charleston, United States
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Green clay
Prize money: $823,000
Match timing: Approx. 3 pm local time, 12.30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Europsort
Andrea Petkovic vs Yulia Putintseva preview
Former Charleston champion Andrea Petkovic will open her 2021 Charleston Open with a first-round match against 11th seed Yulia Putintseva on Monday.
Petkovic, who won the tournament back in 2014, has had a bit of a mixed start to the new season. While she has managed to hold her against top names like Ons Jabeur and Sofia Kenin, consistent results have eluded her.
The German would now be hoping for a change in fortunes here in Charleston.
Putintseva, meanwhile, has suffered early exits in her last couple of WTA outings, and is herself looking to rediscover some sort of form ahead of the clay season.
The Kazakh ended 2020 on a high, having reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the US Open. And strong showings at a couple of other hardcourt tournaments at the back end of the year would have further bolstered her confidence.
Putintseva is an able counterpuncher and thrives under trying conditions, and she could well ask a few questions of Petkovic.
Andrea Petkovic vs Yulia Putintseva head-to-head
Yulia Putintseva leads Andrea Petkovic in the head-to-head meetings with a 3-1 margin. The German had triumphed in the first meeting between the two, but the Kazakh has won three in a row since.
Andrea Petkovic vs Yulia Putinseva prediction
Andrea Petkovic will likely look to take control of the match, given her superior attacking game. She has been a strong performer on hardcourts over the years, and is more than capable of slugging it out from the baseline.
Yulia Putintseva, on the other, will look to turn this into a physical affair. In the absence of any big weapons, she often tries to run down every ball in the hope of extracting errors.
Petkovic will need to use her big forehand to facilitate her frontcourt game and try and score quick points. She wouldn't want to indulge in longer rallies against someone like Putintseva, who is likely to become stronger as the match drags on.
Prediction: Andrea Petkovic to win in two tight sets.