Stuttgart 2022: Paula Badosa vs Ons Jabeur preview, head-to-head & prediction | Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Match details
Fixture: (2) Paula Badosa vs (7) Ons Jabeur
Date: 22 April 2022
Tournament: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Stuttgart, Germany
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor clay
Match timing: 12:30 pm local time / 10:30 am GMT / 6:30 am ET / 4 pm IST
Prize money: $757,900
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Paula Badosa vs Ons Jabeur preview
Second seed Paula Badosa will lock horns with seventh seed Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart on Friday.
Badosa made a grand start to the season by winning the Sydney title. She backed it up with a run to the fourth round of the Australian Open.
But the Spaniard lost her rhythm in the Middle Eastern swing, crashing out early in Dubai and Doha.
The World No. 3 regained her form once the tour shifted to North America. After a semi-final run at Indian Wells, Badosa made back-to-back quarterfinals in Miami and Charleston.
@paulabadosa outlasts Rybakina 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(4) and advances to the quarterfinals in Stuttgart!Badosa battles through 😤👊
🇪🇸 @paulabadosa outlasts Rybakina 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(4) and advances to the quarterfinals in Stuttgart!
#PorscheTennis https://t.co/N2hTonVnMY
The 2021 Roland Garros quarterfinalist was made to work hard by Elena Rybakina in Stuttgart on Thursday in her first match of the European clay season. But the Spaniard fended off the Kazakh's challenge to triumph 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(4).
World No. 10 Ons Jabeur, too, has made a solid start to the 2022 season. She reached the quarterfinals in her first three events of the year in Sydney, Dubai and Doha.
After a brief stutter at Indian Wells, she bounced back with a run to the last 16 in Miami.
Jabeur began her clay season in Charleston in stunning fashion. She won four matches in a row to reach the final, where she was edged out by Belinda Bencic in three sets.
The Tunisian has managed to bring that momentum to Stuttgart. With wins over Marketa Vondrousova and Daria Kasatkina, she has reached the quarterfinals of an event for the fifth time this season.
Paula Badosa vs Ons Jabeur head-to-head
Badosa leads Jabeur 2-1 in the head-to-head. The two have split their last couple of meetings, both of which were in 2021. While Jabeur ground out a 7-6(6), 5-7, 7-5 win in Miami, Badosa exacted revenge with a straightforward 6-3, 6-3 win at Indian Wells.
Paula Badosa vs Ons Jabeur prediction
This match will feature a clash of contrasting styles. While Badosa relies on her consistent baseline play to get the better of her opponents, Jabeur likes to mix things up with slices and dropshots.
The Spaniard struggled on serve against Rybakina in her first match in Stuttgart, coughing up eight double faults. That doesn't bode well for her against a tricky opponent like Jabeur, who knows how to defuse her opponent's power.
Badosa also spent two hours and 30 minutes on court in her previous match, unlike Jabeur, who breezed through her encounter against Kasatkina in one hour and 24 minutes.
@PorscheTennis #TeamOJ
Let’s go 💪 @PorscheTennis #TeamOJ https://t.co/xis9zDdG9d
The Tunisian will come into this contest fresher than the Spaniard and should have the advantage if the match goes the distance. She has also made a better start to the clay season and is currently high on confidence. These factors could tilt the scales in favor of Jabeur.
Prediction: Ons Jabeur to win in three sets.