Sydney Tennis Classic 2022: Barbora Krejcikova vs Caroline Garcia preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (3) Barbora Krejcikova vs Caroline Garcia
Date: 13 January 2022
Tournament: Sydney Tennis Classic 2022
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Sydney, Australia
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Match timing: Not before 12 noon local time, 1 am GMT, 6.30 am IST
Prize money: $703,580
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Barbora Krejcikova vs Caroline Garcia preview
Third seed Barbora Krejcikova will face World No. 75 Caroline Garcia on Thursday for a spot in the semifinals of the Sydney Tennis Classic.
Krejcikova has come to Sydney on the back of a memorable season that saw her taste Grand Slam glory for the first time in her career. The French Open champion not only shone in singles but had an excellent season in doubles as well, capturing four titles.
The Czech picked up from where she left off and began her Sydney title bid with a strong 6-1, 7-5 win over World No. 73 Jaqueline Cristian on Wednesday.
Krejcikova will now hope to continue the momentum against former World No. 4 Caroline Garcia.
The Frenchwoman has seven singles titles to her credit but hasn't done much of note since triumphing at the Nature Valley Open in Nottingham in 2019.
Last year, she suffered a slew of early exits. A semifinal at Lausanne and a couple of quarterfinal finishes at Parma and Limoges were the only results that stood out in an otherwise drab year for Garcia.
The 28-year-old started the 2022 season with a first-round loss to Anastasija Sevastova in Melbourne last week. She has done much better this week in Sydney, having toppled World No. 22 Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-6(3) in the opening round.
With ninth seed Elena Rybakina withdrawing due to a left thigh injury, Garcia got a walkover into the quarterfinals.
Barbora Krejcikova starts her 2022 season with a win, defeating Jaqueline Cristian 61 75 in Sydney.
Krejcikova will face Garcia, who advanced via walkover after Rybakina withdrew due to a left thigh injury.
Barbora Krejcikova vs Caroline Garcia head-to-head
Krejcikova and Garcia are tied 1-1 in the head-to-head. While Garcia won their first meeting 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 at Bastad in 2017, Krejcikova exacted revenge at Strasbourg last year with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 win.
Barbora Krejcikova vs Caroline Garcia prediction
Caroline Garcia is known for her aggressive game and for her ability to hit flat off both the wings. The offensive baseliner also has an effective serve and a strong netgame, being proficient in doubles.
However, under pressure, the Frenchwoman is prone to leaking double faults and producing a high number of unforced errors.
That is one area she needs to address if she wants to continue her giant-killing run at this tournament.
Trophies galore: @BKrejcikova started her year with her first WTA 1000 runner-up hardware in Dubai, and it all just skyrocketed from there… what a season! https://t.co/YTyjU0IaFt
Not only does Krejcikova have feisty groundstrokes, but her ability to mix up her game could cause a few problems for the World No. 75. The Czech possesses an excellent volley and will look for every opportunity to keep her opponent pinned at the baseline and finish points at the net.
The only issue for Krejcikova is her serve. If Garcia can attack it consistently, she might have a chance. However, Krejcikova has been playing at a high level for more than a year now and won't go down without a fight.
Prediction: Krejcikova to win in three sets.