8th seed Marta Kostyuk takes on American veteran Madison Brengle in the round of 16 of the 2023 ATX Open on Thursday.
The 20-year-old came into the tournament on the back of an exit in the round of 32 of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Kostyuk lost to 8th seed Belinda Bencic after giving the Olympic gold medalist a good run for her money.
In the ATX Open, Kostyuk defeated Hungary’s Dalma Galfi in straight sets 7-5, 6-1 with considerable ease. She managed to convert 5 out of 9 break points in the encounter. However, a win percentage of only 38 on the first serve will be a cause of concern going forward.
The world No. 95 also played in the Dubai Tennis Championships before coming to play in the ATX Open. However, her campaign ended in the first round of qualifying as she lost to Katarina Zavatska after winning the first set.
In the round of 32 of the ATX Open, Brengle managed to win the first set easily against fellow American player, Louisa Chirico. The second set required Brengle to dig deep. She used all her experience and persevered to win the encounter 6-2, 7-6 (7-3). The 32-year-old managed to convert 5 out of 9 break points.
Marta Kostyuk and Madison Brengle have faced each other on a couple of occasions. Both women are tied in the head-to-head scoreline at 1-1. Brengle won their most recent encounter in the 2022 Italian Open in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.
Prediction: Marta Kostyuk to win in three sets.
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