Qatar Open 2022: Aryna Sabalenka vs Alize Cornet preview, head-to-head and prediction
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Aryna Sabalenka vs Alize Cornet.
Tournament: Qatar TotalEnergies Open.
Date: 22 February, 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 32).
Venue: Doha, Qatar.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $2,331,698.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Alize Cornet preview
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka will take on Alize Cornet in the first round of the 2022 Qatar Open on Monday.
The Belarusian started 2022 at the Adelaide International 1 and lost her first match of the competition against Kaja Juvan. This was followed by another first-round exit at the Adelaide International 2.
Sabalenka entered the Australian Open as the second seed and started with a hard-fought win over Storm Sanders. She then beat Wang Xinyu and Marketa Vondrousova to seal her place in the fourth round. However, the 23-year-old exited the tournament after losing to Kaia Kanepi in three sets.
Sabalenka was seeded second at the Dubai Tennis Championships and began her campaign with a straight-sets win over Marta Kostyik. However, she lost to Petra Kvitova in the second round.
Petra Kvitova has knocked out the top seed Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 to reach Quarterfinal at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship 💪
Aryna Sabalenka has become fifth seeded player to lose today in Dubai 😮
#PetraKvitova #ArynaSabalenka #Dubai #Tennis https://t.co/xd8ytQq3Fz
Meanwhile, Alize Cornet began 2022 with first-round exits at the Melbourne Summer Set 1 and the Adelaide International 2. However, she had an impressive run at the Australian Open. The Frenchwoman started the tournament with a win over Viktoriya Tomova and followed that up by stunning third seed Garbine Muguruza.
Cornet then beat Tamara Zidansek and Simona Halep to seal her place in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. But she couldn't progress to the last-four, losing to eventual runner-up Danielle Collins.
The 32-year-old then competed at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy and lost to eighth seed Elise Mertens in the first round.
Cornet was up against Liudmila Samsonova in the first round of the Qatar Open. She came back from a set down to win the match 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 and seal her place in the second round.
WTA 1000 Qatar TotalEnergies Open
Alize Cornet wins a tough
three setter over
Liudmila Samsonova
3-6 6-4 7-5
Aryna Sabalenka vs Alize Cornet head to head
Tuesday's match in Doha will be the third between Sabalenka and Cornet with the head-to-head tied at 1-1. Cornet won the first meeting between the two at the Rome Masters in 2019 while Sabalenka won the second at the Dubai Tennis Championships last year.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Alize Cornet prediction
Sabalenka will be the favorite entering the match but given her unpredictability, Cornet could also have her day.
The World No. 2 has had a pretty shaky start to 2022 but when she gets going, she is truly unstoppable. Sabalenka will be looking to trouble Cornet with her serve and strong groundstrokes, which have so often fetched her winners. However, she will have to keep her power in control so as to not produce too many unforced errors.
Cornet, on the other hand, will be looking to defend strongly against Sabalenka's aggressive shots. She has a good return game so the Belarusian may not have as many aces as one might expect.
Cornet has had some good results against higher-ranked players but Sabalenka should be able to get the better of her and move on to the third round.
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in straight sets.