Melbourne Summer Set 1 2022: Naomi Osaka vs Andrea Petkovic preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (1) Naomi Osaka vs Andrea Petkovic
Date: 7 January 2022
Tournament: Melbourne Summer Set 1, 2022
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Melbourne, Australia
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $239,477
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Naomi Osaka vs Andrea Petkovic preview
Top seed Naomi Osaka is set to lock horns with Andrea Petkovic in an exciting quarterfinal clash at the Melbourne Summer Set on Friday.
Osaka was simply too strong for Maryna Zanevska in her second-round match, easily defeating the Belgian 6-1, 6-1. Her performance was considerably better than in her opening round, but there's still room for improvement.
The Japanese star is making a comeback after being away from tennis for almost four months. She will be hoping to have a good run at the tournament in order to boost her confidence ahead of her title defense at the Australian Open.
@naomiosaka defeats Maryna Zanevska 6-1 6-1 in Melbourne.
Picking up right where she left off 🤩🎾
🇯🇵 @naomiosaka defeats Maryna Zanevska 6-1 6-1 in Melbourne.
#MelbourneTennis https://t.co/H5Yn18o6Xt
Andrea Petkovic had to fight hard to reach the quarterfinals, defeating Clara Burel 7-5, 2-6, 6-4. The German's career seems to be on an upswing once again. She won her first title in almost six years at the Cluj-Napoca Open in 2021.
Petkovic also reached the final at the Hamburg Open and ended the year ranked 76. The German will be eager to keep her momentum going and move further up the rankings.
Andrea Petkovic into the Melbourne 1 QFs after defeating France’s Clara Burel 75 26 64.
Faces either Osaka or Zanevska.
Ana Konjuh also through after defeating Kaia Kanepi 62 36 63.
Naomi Osaka vs Andrea Petkovic head-to-head
The duo have played each other twice before, with the head-to-head tied at 1-1. Osaka won their previous encounter at the 2019 Beijing Open, handing Petkovic a 6-2, 6-0 beatdown.
Naomi Osaka vs Andrea Petkovic prediction
Osaka's aggressive style is a stark contrast to Petkovic's measured game, making the Japanese the clear favorite heading into their latest encounter.
While Osaka showed signs of improvement in her previous match, Petkovic struggled against Burel, winning just 52% of her first-serve points in the match. A similar performance against the former World No. 1 will simply not be good enough.
Naomi Osaka appears to be getting better with every match and will be expected to progress to the semifinals at the expense of the German.
Prediction: Naomi Osaka to win in straight sets.
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