Italian Open 2023: Bianca Andreescu vs Marketa Vondrousova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Fixture: (24) Bianca Andreescu vs Marketa Vondrousova.
Tournament: Italian Open 2023.
Round: Second Round (Round of 64).
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Outdoor clay.
Prize money: €3,572,618.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Bianca Andreescu vs Marketa Vondrousova preview
2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu will lock horns with Marketa Vondrousova in the second round of the 2023 Italian Open.
Andreescu picked up yet another injury during her fourth-round encounter at the Miami Open. She returned to action at the Madrid Open, where after a first-round bye, she faced Wang Xiyu in the second round.
Andreescu claimed the first set and led 3-0 in the second set but still went on to lose the match. She received a first-round bye here as well. The Canadian made it to the quarterfinals of last year's Italian Open, but went down to Iga Swiatek in straight sets.
Vondrousova kicked off her campaign in Rome against Kaia Kanepi. The Czech played an almost perfect first set as she dished out a bagel to clinch it. She immediately gained an advantage at the start of the second set and secured a 2-0 lead.
Kanepi slowly started to push back after that. First she managed to tie the score and then broke Vondrousova's serve twice towards the end to claim the set. The Czech responded by racing to a 5-1 lead in the third set.
Vondrousova held a couple of match points on Kanepi's serve in the seventh game, but the veteran managed to eke out a service hold. The 23-year old closed out the proceedings in the next game to wrap up a 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 win.
Bianca Andreescu vs Marketa Vondrousova head-to-head
The two have not met on the WTA tour prior to this, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Bianca Andreescu vs Marketa Vondrousova odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Bianca Andreescu vs Marketa Vondrousova prediction
Vondrousova overcame a second set stumble to oust Kanepi in the first round. The Czech threw in 13 double faults in the match and will need to clean up her act before her next one.
Andreescu seemed to have recovered decently from her injury given how she played in Madrid. However, she let go of a healthy lead to lose the match. The Canadian has shown glimpses of the form that led her to glory in 2019, but is yet to do so on a regular basis.
Vondrousova's defense is hard to break down, even more so on clay. Andreescu has the game to match the former French Open finalist, but her execution these days is hit and miss. The Czech has been more consistent this season and as such will be the favorite to make it to the next round.
Pick: Marketa Vondrousova to win in three sets.