Prague Open 2021: Barbora Krejcikova vs Ysaline Bonaventure preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (2) Barbora Krejcikova vs Ysaline Bonaventure
Date: 15 July 2021
Tournament: Livesport Prague Open 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Prague, Czech Republic
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $235,238
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Barbora Krejcikova vs Ysaline Bonaventure preview
Barbora Krejcikova will take on Ysaline Bonaventure in the second round of the 2021 Prague Open on Thursday. The tournament, which was played on clay for 10 years after its inception in 2010, has shifted to hardcourt for the 2021 edition.
Krejcikova, seeded second, won 6-2, 6-3 against Bulgarian qualifier Isabella Shinikova in the first round. Bonaventure, meanwhile, earned a similar 6-2, 6-3 victory in her opener against British qualifier Naiktha Bains.
Krejcikova has had a breakthrough season in singles, to say the least. The Czech won her first WTA title in Strasbourg before doing a historic singles-doubles sweep at Roland Garros.
She continued her sublime form at Wimbledon, winning her first three matches before falling to eventual champion Ashleigh Barty in the fourth round. With top seed Petra Kvitova facing a shock exit in the first round here in Prague, Krejcikova would be expected to carry the bulk of the Czech hopes this week.
Her opponent for Thursday, Ysaline Bonaventure, has had a lackluster year so far. Bonaventure has managed just three wins, and the highlight of her season has been a quarterfinal finish in Hamburg last week.
Although the Belgian is still on a quest for her maiden WTA title, she has amassed 11 titles on the ITF circuit. The 26-year-old will be hoping for a miracle of sorts against Krejcikova for her first top 15 win.
Barbora Krejcikova vs Ysaline Bonaventure head-to-head
The duo's sole meeting came at this very event in 2016, when Barbora Krejcikova claimed a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Ysaline Bonaventure. Hence, their head-to-head stands at 1-0 in favor of the World No. 13.
Barbora Krejcikova vs Ysaline Bonaventure prediction
Barbora Krejcikova is coming off a string of phenomenal results, and she doesn't look like stopping anytime soon. Krejcikova has cemented her position amongst the top players on the WTA tour, and facing her will be a massive challenge for the 127th-ranked Ysaline Bonaventure.
One of Krejcikova's biggest strengths is her serve. The Czech consistently maintains a high winning percentage on the first serve, and benefits from quick holds at decisive moments.
Krejcikova also maneuvers the ball well with her fast-paced groundstrokes, and has a solid net game too.
Bonaventure will bank on her ability to elongate rallies and get a lot of balls back in play. The southpaw has a strong first serve too, but her second serve can sometimes be shaky.
By virtue of her ranking advantage, Barbora Krejcikova comes into this matchup as the clear favorite. She will look to use her natural style to her advantage and trouble the Belgian with her explosive skill-set.
Prediction: Barbora Krejcikova to win in straight sets.