Cincinnati 2022: Petra Kvitova vs Sorana Cirstea preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Western & Southern Open
Match Details
Fixture: Petra Kvitova vs Sorana Cirstea
Date: August 17, 2022
Tournament: Cincinnati Open 2022
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $2,527,250
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - Rogers Sportsnet, TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Petra Kvitova vs Sorana Cirstea preview
Petra Kvitova and Sorana Cirstea came through similarly hard-fought opening matches to set up an exciting second-round showdown at the 2022 Western & Southern Open on Wednesday.
First through to the second round, Kvitova had to overcome stern defending from Jil Teichmann and a match point in her two-hour-and-47-minute contest. The Czech, who started out slow, eventually found her attacking groove — firing 47 winners in comparison to 40 unforced errors.
Kvitova, a former champion here in Cincinnati, will now be looking to carry the winning momentum deeper into the tournament.
Cirstea, meanwhile, scored an upset win over Belinda Bencic in her opening match. The Romanian fended off a comeback bid from her more fancied opponent, prevailing 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4 to book her spot in the last 32.
Having already beaten Kvitova earlier this year — in a rather comfortable contest at the Australian Open — Cirstea will be sensing another big opportunity here.
Petra Kvitova vs Sorana Cirstea head-to-head
Petra Kvitova leads Sorana Cirstea in their current head-to-head 5-4, but the Romanian has taken the duo's last two encounters — at the last two editions of the Australian Open.
Petra Kvitova vs Sorana Cirstea odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM) (to be updated)
Petra Kvitova vs Sorana Cirstea prediction
Having avenged her loss to Teichmann from earlier in the year, Kvitova will now be looking to do the same against her Australian Open conqueror Sorana Cirstea.
Cirstea made a strong start to the year, but results have dried up since the start of the clay season. Kvitova, on the other hand, has shown improvement since lifting the title at Eastbourne in June.
The Czech will still need to be wary of Cirstea, who enjoys playing against big-hitting players. The Romanian is a master at using her opponent's pace against them and the onus of having to come up with a different strategy will rest on Kvitova's shoulder.
The former champion was a lot more patient with her rally construction towards the back end of her contest against Teichmann and that is exactly what she will need to do against Cirstea. If she can keep a tab on the unforced errors, Kvitova should be able to come out on top.
Pick: Kvitova to win in two tight sets