Australian Open 2023: Jelena Ostapenko vs Dayana Yastremska preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (17) Jelena Ostapenko vs Dayana Yastremska.
Date: 16 January 2023.
Tournament: Australian Open 2023.
Round: First round (Round of 128).
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Hard.
Prize Money: A$76,500,000.
Live telecast: USA - ESPN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Ten & Sony Liv.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Dayana Yastremska preview
2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko will take on World No. 99 Dayana Yastremska in the first round of the 2023 Australian Open on Monday.
Ostapenko performed quite well last year, winning the title in Dubai and reaching a couple of finals. A fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon was her best result at the Majors. She fared much better in doubles, winning two titles, including the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati along with another couple of runner-up finishes.
Ostapenko commenced the new season by competing in two WTA 500 events in Adelaide. She defeated Karolina Pliskova in the opening round but lost to Irina-Camelia Begu afterwards. The following week, she fell to Anna Kalinskaya in the opening round. The Latvian made it to the semifinals in doubles at both events.
Yastremska endured a tough time last year, both on and off the court. She concluded the season with a 13-18 record at the WTA level. She did reach the final of the Lyon Open but lost to Zhang Shuai in three sets. She also had to deal with her native Ukraine being attacked on top of that as well.
Yastremska's first tournament of 2023 was the Adelaide International 1. Given her low ranking, she had to go through the qualifying rounds. She lost in the first round to compatriot Anhelina Kalinina in straight sets.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Dayana Yastremska head-to-head
Yastremska leads Ostapenko 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2022 Birmingham Classic in three sets.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Dayana Yastremska odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Jelena Ostapenko vs Dayana Yastremska prediction
Two of the tour's biggest hitters are now set to clash. While neither player has been on a hot streak of late, Ostapenko still enters this contest in marginally better form. At their best, the duo can put on a clinic with their offensive brand of tennis, and when not in form, things can get pretty ugly with shots missing the baseline by miles.
Yastremska does have a relatively better serve which could sway the tide in her favor. However, she hasn't won a match at a Grand Slam in a while now, exiting in the first round of the last five Majors. Their previous meeting was a close affair, with the Ukrainian staging a comeback to win the match.
Despite Ostapenko being the player with better results, this is a contest that could swing either way. The Latvian is capable of losing to anyone when she's spraying errors left and right. However, if she manages to stay focused, she has a good chance of emerging victorious.
Pick: Jelena Ostapenko to win in three sets.