Silicon Valley Classic 2022: Ons Jabeur vs Veronika Kudermetova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Ons Jabeur vs Veronika Kudermetova
Date: August 5, 2022
Tournament: Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic 2022
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: San Jose, United States
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $757,900
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Ons Jabeur vs Veronika Kudermetova preview
Ons Jabeur and Veronika Kudermetova came through similarly tight two-set wins in their respective second-round matches to set up an exciting quarterfinal showdown at the 2022 Silicon Valley Classic on Friday.
Jabeur, the third seed, needed to find her best tennis to keep the big-hitting Madison Keys at bay in the first set of their encounter. But after taking the opener 7-5, the Tunisian seemed to grow in confidence and erased any chance of a comeback by winning the second set for the loss of just one game.
Playing in her first tournament since her historic run at the Wimbledon Championships, Jabeur will be keen to carry the winning momentum deeper into the tournament.
Kudermetova came through with a similar scoreline against home favorite Claire Liu, ousting the American 6-2 7-5. The win, combined with her marathon victory over Camila Giorgi in the opening round here, meant that the Russian was through to her fourth hardcourt quarterfinal of the season.
Kudermetova definitely enjoys playing on the surface and she could well ask a few questions of the third seed on Friday.
Ons Jabeur vs Veronika Kudermetova head-to-head
Kudermetova leads Jabeur in their current head-to-head 2-0, having beaten the Tunisian twice in 2019. One of those meetings was on hardcourt, with the Russian winning 6-3, 6-3.
Ons Jabeur vs Veronika Kudermetova odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Ons Jabeur vs Veronika Kudermetova prediction
Notwithstanding the duo's head-to-head record, Ons Jabeur will come into the quarterfinal contest as the firm favorite. The Tunisian is in the midst of a career-best season and possesses the second-most number of match wins in 2022 — behind only Iga Swiatek.
Jabeur is yet to crack the formula to get past Kudermetova, who has troubled the Tunisian with her big first serve and flat hitting in the past. On days when she is striking the ball well, the Russian can be an extremely dangerous opponent.
Kudermetova already has wins over the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka to show for this season, not to mention her three WTA finals and a maiden second-week appearance at a Grand Slam.
The Russian will definitely pose a stiff challenge for Jabeur, but the Tunisian has made huge improvements to her game since the duo last met. If she can play with a certain level of focus and not give too many points away for free, Jabeur should be able to post her first win over Kudermetova.
Pick: Jabeur to win in three sets