French Open 2023: Jelena Ostapenko vs Tereza Martincova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (17) Jelena Ostapenko vs Tereza Martincova
Tournament: French Open 2023.
Round: First round (Round of 128).
Venue: Paris, France.
Category: Grand Slam.
Date: 28 May 2023.
Surface: Outdoor clay.
Prize money: €49,600,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports, Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Ten.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Tereza Martincova preview
17th seed Jelena Ostapenko will face Tereza Martincova in the first round of the French Open.
Ostapenko has won 18 out of 29 matches so far this season, most notably reaching the semi-finals of the Italian Open. She beat Sorana Cirstea, Daria Kasatkina, Barbora Krejcikova and Paula Badosa before losing 6-4, 6-2 to eventual champion Elena Rybakina.
The Latvian also reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. Here, she defeated Dayana Yastremska, Anna Bondar, Kateryna Baindl and Coco Gauff before being beaten 6-4, 6-2 by Elena Rybakina.
Martincova has played seven matches so far in this year's WTA Tour, with just one win. This came against Tamara Korpatsch in the Miami Open where she lost to Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round.
During the clay-court season, the Czech was unable to qualify for the main draw of the Madrid Open. She made it to the main draw of the Italian Open but lost 7-6(2), 6-4 to Alize Cornet in the opening round.
Martincova then competed at the Internaux de Strasbourg and suffered another first-round defeat, this time to Emma Navarro.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Tereza Martincova head-to-head
Martincova leads 1-0 in the head-to-head between the two, beating Ostapenko 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2 in the second round of the 2021 Birmingham Classic.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Tereza Martincova odds
Jelena Ostapenko vs Tereza Martincova prediction
Ostapenko will enter the match as the overwhelming favorite to win. The Latvian did well to reach the semi-finals of the Italian Open and will be eager to start her French Open campaign strongly.
Ostapenko has an all-attack game and will look to be aggressive from the start, dictating the points.
The 25-year-old hits her shots with a lot of power but her most formidable weapon is her backhand. She has a pretty effective first serve, producing 21 aces from five matches at the Italian Open, and will aim to serve more of those at Roland Garros.
Martincova's defensive ability is the ideal foil for Ostapenko's aggressive game. The Czech has a high rally tolerance and will look to draw unforced errors out of the Latvian. She will have to be at her best and cannot afford to make too many mistakes if she is to stand a chance of winning the match.
Ostapenko looks in pretty good touch at the moment and should be able to get past Martincova without much trouble.
Pick: Ostapenko to win in straight sets.