Stuttgart 2023: Ons Jabeur vs Jelena Ostapenko preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Match details
Fixture: (3) Ons Jabeur vs Jelena Ostapenko.
Date: April 19, 2023.
Tournament: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2023.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Stuttgart, Germany.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Indoor Clay.
Prize money: $780,637.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Ons Jabeur vs Jelena Ostapenko preview
After a first-round bye, World No. 4 Ons Jabeur will take on Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Wednesday.
Following a second-round exit from the Australian Open, Jabeur took some time off to deal with an injury. She returned to action at the BNP Paribas Open, but Marketa Vondrousova knocked her out in the third round.
The Tunisian then suffered a surprise defeat to qualifier Varvara Gracheva in the second round of the Miami Open after that.
Jabeur kicked off her clay season at the Charleston Open, where she was the runner-up last year. Following wins over Lesia Tsurenko, Caroline Dolehide, Anna Kalinskaya and Daria Kasatkina, she made it to the final yet again.
The 28-year old got the better of Belinda Bencic to win her first title of the season, avenging her loss to the Swiss from last year's final.
Ostapenko, meanwhile, was drawn against fellow Grand Slam champion Emma Raducanu in the first round here. The Latvian quickly jumped to a 5-1 lead in the opening set and wrapped up the set soon after.
The second set was even more one-sided, with the former French Open champion reeling off six consecutive games to win the match 6-2, 6-1.
Ons Jabeur vs Jelena Ostapenko head-to-head
Ostapenko and Jabeur have split their previous two meetings on the WTA tour evenly to tie the head-to-head at 1-1. The Latvian won their most recent encounter at the 2021 Eastbourne International in three sets.
Ons Jabeur vs Jelena Ostapenko odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Ons Jabeur vs Jelena Ostapenko prediction
Ostapenko scored a dominant win over Raducanu to kick off her campaign in Stuttgart. She had a rather good day on serve, winning 80% of her first serve points, a rarity for her.
The Latvian went 5/5 on break points, while erasing the only one she faced with ease. She also won 17 consecutive points in the second set, reducing her opponent to a mere spectator.
There's not much anyone can do when Ostapenko's game is firing on all cylinders. Jabeur, however, knows how to handle big-hitters like her upcoming opponent. She's back to her best, as evident by her title-winning run in Charleston, where she didn't lose a set either.
While Ostapenko's performance in the first round was impressive, she has been in this position before. Consistency across matches has been an issue for her this season.
Jabeur has enough tricks up her sleeve to wear down her younger opponent. The World No. 4 should be able to navigate the tricky waters to overcome any challenge presented by the Latvian.
Pick: Ons Jabeur to win in three sets.