St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy 2022: Jelena Ostapenko vs Andrea Petkovic preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (7) Jelena Ostapenko vs Andrea Petkovic.
Date: 10 February, 2022.
Tournament: St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: St. Petersburg, Russia.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Indoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $703,580.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Andrea Petkovic preview
Seventh seed Jelena Ostapenko will face off against Germany's Andrea Petkovic in the second round of the 2022 St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy on Thursday.
Ostapenko produced a solid display of tennis to secure a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Xinyu Wang in the first round. The first set went by in a flash as the Latvian overwhelmed her opponent with her firepower. Wang made a strong start to the second set, securing a break of serve to lead 2-0.
However, the Chinese youngster couldn't hold on to her lead as she lost serve immediately in the next game. The duo held serve until the ninth game of the set, when Ostapenko once again broke her opponent's serve and then closed out the match.
The result will give the former Roland Garros champion some confidence after a rocky start to the 2022 season. Ostapenko lost to Paula Badosa in the first round of the Sydney Tennis Classic. This was followed by a defeat to Barbora Krejcikova in the third round of the Australian Open.
Both of her losses have come against top 10 players, so she's been a tad unlucky to draw them so early. She will be eager to make a deep run in St. Petersburg.
@JelenaOstapenk8 marches on in St. Petersburg!Confident finish 💣
🇱🇻 @JelenaOstapenk8 marches on in St. Petersburg!
#FormulaTX https://t.co/vJ5z7njgYe
Meanwhile, Andrea Petkovic commenced her St. Petersburg campaign with a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over Rebecca Peterson. The first set was a closely contested affair, but the German stamped her authority in the second set to win the match.
Petkovic started the year by reaching the quarterfinals of the Melbourne Summer Set, where she lost to Naomi Osaka. However, she was ousted in the first round of the Australian Open by Krejcikova, losing 6-2, 6-0. The former World No. 9 will now aim to perform much better here than in Melbourne.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Andrea Petkovic head-to-head
The two have faced off four times previously, with the head-to-head being tied at 2-2. Petkovic won their most recent encounter at the 2021 Kremlin Cup, with Ostapenko retiring in the third set after sustaining an injury during the match.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Andrea Petkovic prediction
Both players have a similar record for the year, with three wins and two losses. Neither player has a clear edge heading into this encounter, but Ostapenko's past success might give her enough confidence to tilt things in her favor.
The Latvian is tough to compete against when she's on a roll. She loves to go for her shots and her high-risk game rewards her well. However, Ostapenko is equally prone to accumulating a high number of errors if her game's misfiring.
THIS is how we do it 💃
@JelenaOstapenk8 | #FormulaTX https://t.co/aTp9Dn3ETq
Petkovic's all-court game with solid baseline play won't be enough if her opponent's playing at her best, as she could get overpowered. The German will need to find a way to take control of the rallies, as a passive approach against a player like Ostapenko rarely works out.
If the former Roland Garros champion executes her aggressive game plan with even a little caution, there isn't much Petkovic will be able to do.
Prediction: Jelena Ostapenko to win in straight sets.