China Open 2023: Ons Jabeur vs Marta Kostyuk preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match details
Fixture: (7) Ons Jabeur vs Marta Kostyuk
Date: October 3, 2023
Tournament: China Open 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: National Tennis Center, Beijing, China
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $8,127,389
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Ons Jabeur vs Marta Kostyuk preview
Three-time Major finalist Ons Jabeur will battle it out against Marta Kostyuk in the second round of the 2023 China Open on Tuesday.
Jabeur was drawn against Ashlyn Krueger in the first round. The Tunisian had break point chances on two of her opponent's initial service games, but couldn't make the most of her opportunities.
However, Jabeur was able to break down Krueger's resistance as she reeled off four games in a row to clinch the set. The World No. 7 overcame a 2-0 deficit in the second set to pull ahead with a 4-2 lead.
Krueger then dug deep to level the score, but it proved to be her last stand. Jabeur nabbed the next couple of games to win the match 6-3, 6-4 and extend her winning streak to six matches.
Kostyuk, meanwhile, faced Elisabetta Cocciaretto in her opener. The Ukrainian played second fiddle to her opponent in the first set as she lost it rather meekly and managed to grab just one game for herself.
Kostyuk put the terrible start behind her as she quickly raced to a 5-2 lead in the second set. While she got broken while trying to close out the set at this point, she broke back in the following game to nab the set.
The two broke each other's serve twice early on in the third set and remained on even footing after that. With Cocciaretto serving to stay in the match at 5-4, Kostyuk broke her serve one last time to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Ons Jabeur vs Marta Kostyuk head-to-head
Jabeur leads Kostyuk 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2023 Adelaide International 1 in two tight sets.
Ons Jabeur vs Marta Kostyuk odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Ons Jabeur vs Marta Kostyuk prediction
Jabeur looked a little shaky in the second set, but got the job done in straight sets to advance further. She now finds herself in a decent spot to make the WTA Finals, but a deep run here would further cement her chances.
Having won the Ningbo Open last week, Jabeur's feeling pretty confident at the moment. Kostyuk brushed off the beatdown she received in the first set to score an impressive comeback win over Cocciaretto.
She will now be aiming to win consecutive matches for the first time since the Citi Open, which took place towards the end of July. She has just three wins to her name since the start of August.
Kostyuk's a good player with some incredible shotmaking, but lacks in consistency. Jabeur has a lot to play for at the moment and given their recent results, the Tunisian is likely to continue her journey in Beijing.
Pick: Ons Jabeur to win in straight sets.