Italian Open 2022: Jelena Ostapenko vs Lauren Davis preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match details
Fixture: (11) Jelena Ostapenko vs (Q) Lauren Davis.
Date: 10 May 2022
Tournament: Italian Open 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 64).
Venue: Rome, Italy.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Clay.
Prize money: $2,527,250.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Lauren Davis preview
Former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko will square off against qualifier Lauren Davis in the first round of the 2022 Italian Open on Tuesday.
After a fantastic Middle East swing in which she won the title in Dubai and reached the semifinals in Qatar, Ostapenko has struggled for form. She lost her opening matches in Miami and Indian Wells, to Shelby Rogers on both occasions. Injuries then forced her to withdraw from Charleston and Stuttgart.
Ostapenko commenced her clay season at the Madrid Open last week. She was beaten by Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round after blowing a 3-1 lead in the deciding set.
The 24-year-old win be keen to get some wins under her belt in Rome ahead of the French Open.
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Lauren Davis, meanwhile, kicked off her clay season with a win over Mariam Bolkvadze in the first round of the Charleston Open. She lost to compatriot Coco Vandeweghe in three sets in the second round. At the Madrid Open, she lost in the qualifying rounds to Harmony Tan.
Davis then competed in a 125k event in Saint-Malo, but lost in the first round yet again, this time to Madison Brengle.
The American got back to winning ways at the Italian Open. She defeated home favorite Stefania Rubini and Elena-Gabriela Ruse to book her place in the main draw in Rome.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Lauren Davis head-to-head
Ostapenko leads Davis 2-1 in the head-to-head. She won their most recent meeting in the first round of the 2021 Birmingham Open in straight sets.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Lauren Davis odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Lauren Davis prediction
Ostapenko's the favorite on paper, but a lack of matches on clay this season could make life difficult for her. The Latvian has played only one match on the red dirt in 2022, in contrast to Davis, who has competed in multiple tournaments.
Ostapenko is a two-time quarterfinalist in Rome and loves to play in these conditions. Her game plan is rather straightforward; deploy powerful groundstrokes to pummel her opponents into submission.
But she tends to struggle against players with good retrieval skills that can prolong the rallies and force her to hit an extra ball. Davis is just that type of player. The American is noted for her exceptional footwork and court coverage.
Davis lacks the firepower Ostapenko possesses, so she will need to be smart in her approach. The American should look to change the pace of the rallies and force the Latvian into committing unforced errors.
Ostapenko's serve is also a liability and Davis could capitalize on that by adopting an advanced return position. But the American does not possess a great serve either, meaning this match will likely feature a large number of breaks.
All things considered, if Ostapenko can get her game firing on all cylinders, she will be hard to stop.
Pick: Jelena Ostapenko to win in three sets.