Dubai Tennis Championships 2022: Ons Jabeur vs Vera Zvonareva preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (8) Ons Jabeur vs (WC) Vera Zvonareva
Tournament: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2022
Date: 15 February 2022
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Dubai, UAE
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Match timing: Approx 3.30 pm local time, 11.30 am GMT, 6.30 am ET, 5 pm IST
Prize money: $703,580
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Ons Jabeur vs Vera Zvonareva preview
Eighth seed Ons Jabeur will begin her Dubai campaign with a first-round encounter against Russian veteran Vera Zvonareva on Tuesday.
Jabeur's start to the new season has been plagued by a back injury. The Tunisian was forced to retire from her Sydney quarterfinal against Anett Kontaveit, and subsequently pulled out of the Australian Open too.
time - 11:00 AM 
time) on Centre Court 
Just few hours left to see Ons back on court 🙌😍
She will play her #DDFTennis first round match against Vera Zvonareva tomorrow (second match from 2:00 PM 🇦🇪 time - 11:00 AM 🇹🇳 time) on Centre Court 👊👊
📸 Getty Images https://t.co/nPTXLZqWAk
Now fully recovered, Jabeur will be hoping to build on her strong fall run last year, when she reached the Chicago final and Indian Wells semifinals.
Two-time Grand Slam runner-up Vera Zvonareva has also made a slow start to the season. The World No. 103 has managed to win just one match since making the semifinals at the Limoges WTA 125 event last December.
But while Zvonareva has struggled for consistency in singles, she has fared much better in doubles. The 37-year-old has reached the semis of both Melbourne Summer Set 1 and St. Petersburg this year.
Having been a wildcard into Dubai, Zvonareva will be keen to translate her doubles success onto the singles arena too.
Ons Jabeur vs Vera Zvonareva head-to-head
Ons Jabeur and Vera Zvonareva are locked at 1-1 in the head-to-head. While Zvonareva thumped Jabeur 6-2, 6-3 at the 2015 Australian Open, the Tunisian avenged the loss with a 6-2, 6-2 decision in Bucharest three years later.
Ons Jabeur vs Vera Zvonareva prediction
Ons Jabeur is the favorite in this match by dint of her higher ranking and better form over the last few months. But she could be rusty after her injury break, and might need some time to rediscover her touch.
Vera Zvonareva, on her part, would look to make an early statement with her attacking groundstrokes. However, her serve has been a worrying factor of late. The World No. 103 coughed up as many as eight double faults in her three-set loss to Tereza Martincova in the St. Petersburg first round.
If Zvonareva's serving woes reappear, things could get very difficult for her on Tuesday. Jabeur is an excellent returner, and her creativity while constructing points makes it tough for opponents to win long rallies.
The Tunisian's slice-and-dropshot combination is likely to get Zvonareva out of position repeatedly, and it's hard to imagine how the Russian can neutralize that tactic.
Prediction: Ons Jabeur to win in straight sets.