Olympics 2021: Naomi Osaka vs Marketa Vondrousova preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (2) Naomi Osaka (JPN) vs Marketa Vondrousova (CZE)
Date: 27 July 2021
Tournament: Olympics 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 16)
Venue: Ariake Tennis Park, Tokyo, Japan
Category: Olympic Games
Surface: Outdoor hard
Match timing: Approx. 1 pm local time, 9.30 am IST, 4 am GMT, 12 am EST
Live telecast: USA - NBC & Peacock TV | UK - BBC TV | India - Sony Liv
Naomi Osaka vs Marketa Vondrousova preview
Second seed Naomi Osaka will look to book a quarterfinal spot when she takes on World No. 42 Marketa Vondrousova at the Tokyo Olympics 2021 on Tuesday.
A two-month break from the tour hasn't slowed down the Japanese juggernaut. Osaka has returned to action with the same competitive spirit and determination that she is known for.
She started her bid for Japan's maiden Olympic tennis gold on Sunday with an emphatic 6-1, 6-4 win over China's Zheng Saisai. A day later, the Australian Open champion continued her rampage with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic.
Marketa Vondrousova, meanwhile, has largely struggled since her run to the French Open final in 2019. Her only noteworthy results in the last two years have been a couple of semifinals - at Rome in 2020 and at the Yarra Valley Classic earlier this year.
At the ongoing Olympics 2021, the Czech southpaw made a confidence-boosting start with a three-set upset of 16th seed Kiki Bertens. She followed that up with a blistering 6-1, 6-2 win over Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania on Monday.
Naomi Osaka vs Marketa Vondrousova head-to-head
Naomi Osaka and Marketa Vondrousova haven't squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head currently stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Naomi Osaka vs Marketa Vondrousova prediction
Apart from a low first serve percentage (49%), Naomi Osaka did pretty much everything right in her second-round match against Viktorija Golubic. The Japanese powered 12 forehand winners and 10 backhand winners past the Swiss while committing only 11 unforced errors.
Osaka has also won four points at the net out of nine attempts, showing her desire to continue improving her front-court game.
That last bit might be particularly helpful for the World No. 2 when she faces a player known for her expert drop shots. Marketa Vondrousova might have to rethink her strategy on Tuesday if Osaka keeps approaching the net and neutralizing her drop shots.
For the Czech southpaw to have any chance against Osaka, a good serving day is essential. Against Mihaela Buzarnescu in the second round, Vondrousova committed as many as five double faults. A repeat of that could be disastrous against a returner as powerful as Osaka.
All things considered, the Japanese is the heavy favorite to come through this one. All the elements of her game are in fine working order right now barring the first serve. But even if Osaka struggles on that shot, she can make up for it with her strong second serve, which has been working well this week.
Prediction: Naomi Osaka to win in straight sets.