Madrid Open 2022: Paula Badosa vs Veronika Kudermetova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match details
Fixture: (2) Paula Badosa vs Veronika Kudermetova
Tournament: Madrid Open 2022
Round: First round (Round of 64)
Venue: Madrid, Spain
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Clay
Prize money: $6,575,560
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Paula Badosa vs Veronika Kudermetova preview
World No. 2 Paula Badosa will take on Veronika Kudermetova in the first round of the 2022 Madrid Open on Thursday.
Badosa commenced her clay season at the Charleston Open a few weeks ago. She started off with an easy win against Anna Bondar, but had to dig deep to come through against Claire Liu in three sets in her next match. She lost to eventual champion Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals.
Badosa's next tournament was the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. After a first-round bye, she defeated Elena Rybakina in three sets. The Spaniard was once again pushed to three sets by Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinals, but prevailed 7-6(9), 1-6, 6-3. She went down to Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals in straight sets.
Badosa enjoyed her breakthrough at last year's Madrid Open, reaching the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event for the first time in her career. She'll be aiming to go a step or two further this time around now that she's a seasoned campaigner.
new number two 🥳
📸: @paulabadosa https://t.co/XtbYKch1vI
Veronika Kudermetova was supposed to start her clay season at the Charleston Open, but withdrew from the tournament due to illness. The 25-year-old was the defending champion, having won her maiden singles title in the American city last year.
Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-3 to book her spot in the final.
Kudermetova blocked the defending champion!
Last year's semifinalist Veronika Kudermetova, takes down title holder 🇷🇴 Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-3 to book her spot in the final.
It is Kudermetova vs. Potapova for the title!
#tennischampistanbul https://t.co/qlFncA2qoP
Kudermetova returned to action at the Istanbul Cup and made the final after knocking out defending champion Sorana Cirstea in straight sets. She was the favorite to win the title, but lost 6-3, 6-1 to compatriot Anastasia Potapova. She has now lost in three finals this season.
Paula Badosa vs Veronika Kudermetova head-to-head
Kudermetova leads Badosa 3-1 in the head-to-head. But the Spaniard won their most recent encounter in straight sets at the 2022 Indian Wells Open.
Paula Badosa vs Veronika Kudermetova odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Paula Badosa vs Veronika Kudermetova prediction
Both Bodosa and Kudermetova have played extremely well this year, but the World No. 2 has been a lot more consistent.
Kudermetova's serve was completely ripped apart in the Istanbul final; she won a measly 36% of her first-serve points against Potapova. Considering that her serve is one of her strengths, those numbers simply will not cut it against an opponent of Badosa's caliber.
The conditions in Madrid generally take some time to get used to, so players might find it difficult to hit the ground running. Kudermetova, in particular, will have to rein in her unforced errors if she's to have a shot at winning.
Badosa is a better mover on clay, which could tilt things in her favor. While both players hit their groundstrokes with considerable power, the Spaniard has added other layers to her game over the past few seasons.
Badosa is a highly intelligent player and if she has overcome her fatigue from last week, she should have no problem ousting Kudermetova.
Pick: Paula Badosa to win in straight sets.