Sydney International 2022: Anett Kontaveit vs Ons Jabeur preview, head to head and prediction
Match Details
Fixture: (4) Anett Kontaveit vs (7) Ons Jabeur
Date: January 13, 2022
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Sydney, Australia
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Match Timing: 11 am local time, 00:00 am GMT, 5 30 am IST
Prize Money: $703,580
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Anett Kontaveit vs Ons Jabeur preview
Fourth seed Anett Kontaveit takes on seventh seed Ons Jabeur for a place in the semifinals of the Sydney International.
Last year was the best of Kontaveit's career. While the Estonian did not impress at the Majors, she made up for it in other tournaments. Kontaveit's best result at a WTA Masters 1000 event was a quarterfinal run at Indian Wells.
Kontaveit scalped four titles in 2021 which included wins at the Ostrava Open and the Kremlin Cup. After breaking into the top 10 of the WTA rankings, Kontaveit became the first Estonian to qualify for the year-end WTA Finals.
Jabeur also made giant strides last year, winning the first title of her career at the Birmingham Classic. The Tunisian then made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the last eight of the Toronto Masters.
Jabeur's exploits saw her become the first Arab player in history to enter the top 10 of the WTA rankings.
Both players are competing in their first tournament of 2022 and have been dominant in their first two matches. Kontaveit started with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Zhang Shuai before beating qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-1.
Jabeur beat wildcard Astra Sharma in her opening-round match before eliminating reigning champion Petra Kvitova in the next round.
Anett Kontaveit vs Ons Jabeur Head to Head
Thursday will mark the fifth meeting between the two players, with Jabeur leading the head-to-head 3-1. Their last meeting was at Indian Wells last year, where Jabeur triumphed 7-5, 6-3.
Jabeur on facing Kontaveit: "Anett is a great player. We had our moments last year. I told her, You’re obsessed with me, you always follow me, so stop (smiling).”
"I know the pressure is on me, not really on her. But maybe some payback for last year." https://t.co/EVFzZnqhIU
Anett Kontaveit vs Ons Jabeur prediction
Given the recent form of both players, the match promises to be a tightly contested affair. Both players have performed well on hardcourts, with Kontaveit having a win percentage of 76.5% to Jabeur's 65.8%. The Estonian will rely heavily on her serve and her aggressive playing style will no doubt make things difficult for her Tunisian opponent.
Jabeur plays high-risk tennis, utilizing slice and drop shots in particular. Her hard-hitting, unpredictable style can surprise even the best of opponents. Jabeur has one the last three encounters against Kontaveit and will fancy her chances of making it four on the trot against the World No. 7.
Prediction: Jabeur to win in three sets.