We should be in for a treat as 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina locks horns with two-time Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitova in the quarter-finals of the Ostrava Open on Friday.
The 23-year-old came into the Ostrava Open on the back of a forgettable campaign at the Toray Pan Pacific Open. She lost to eventual champion Liudmila Samsonova in the first round in straight sets. However, she made a good comeback at the Ostrava Open.
Rybakina has won both of her matches so far in three sets and on both occasions she came back after dropping the first set. Against Madison Keys, Rybakina fought hard but could not bag the first set. In the second and third sets, Rybakina produced a great display of tennis to win the match 5-7, 6-3, 6-3. Rybakina pushed her second-round opponent, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, to the limit in the first set. In the end, the world No. 26 won the match 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 7-5.
The 32-year-old came into the tournament after losing to Jessica Pegula in the round of 16 of the US Open. Kvitova has reached her fifth quarterfinal this year. The 2022 Eastbourne International winner has given a good account of herself so far in the Ostrava Open.
The experienced campaigner began her campaign with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win against Bernarda Pera. In the round of 16, Kvitova played some fine tennis to defeat the second seed Paula Badosa in straight sets 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.
The head-to-head scoreline stands at 0-0 as of now because Petra Kvitova and Elena Rybakina have not crossed paths as yet.
Prediction: Petra Kvitova to win in three sets.
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