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Match details
Fixture: Karolina Muchova vs (12) Beatriz Haddad Maia
Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2023
Round: First round (Round of 64)
Date: TBD
Venue: Cincinnati, US
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $2,788,468
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - Sportsnet, TVA Sports | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv
Karolina Muchova vs Beatriz Haddad Maia preview
Top-20 players Karolina Muchova and Beatriz Haddad Maia will lock horns in a marquee opening-round encounter at the 2023 Western & Southern Open.
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World No. 17 Muchova will be looking to emulate her success from the French Open, where she reaced the final. The Czech made a first round exit at the Wimbledon Championships. She did show promise during her run at Montreal last week, pushing World No. 1 Iga Swiatek to three sets in the Round of 16.
The Czech has battled a series of injuries in recent years and her 28-11 win-loss record should bolster her confidence heading into the fag end of the season.
Haddad Maia, meanwhile, has enjoyed a successful season so far. She staged deep runs consistently in the first half of the season before making her big break at the French Open, reaching the last four. She made the second week at Wimbledon as well.
The Brazilian returned to the hardcourts at Montreal to a disappointing second round exit. Her defeat to Leylah Fernandez brought her win-loss for the season to 26-15. Making her final stop before the US Open, she will be looking to rediscover the winning formula in Cincinnati.
Karolina Muchova vs Beatriz Haddad Maia head-to-head
Muchova leads Haddad Maia in their current head-to-head with a 2-0 margin. Their duo's latest meeting came at Ostrava last year, with the Czech winning in straight sets.
Karolina Muchova vs Beatriz Haddad Maia odds
(Odds to be updated when they are released)
Karolina Muchova vs Beatriz Haddad Maia prediction
Both Karolina Muchova and Beatriz Haddad Maia have underperformed at some of their recent outings and will be keen to rediscover the magic that saw them reach new heights over the European summer.
Muchova in particular has gone off the rails a bit. The Czech, however, showed flashes of her best tennis in Montreal — especially impressing with her return game. The same will come in handy to tackle her opponent's tricky lefty serve.
When playing at her best, Haddad Maia can take the racket out of her opponent's hand. She uses her serve to set up points well and with a 72% service games won percentage, has been difficult to break.
The first round encounter pits Haddad Maia's aggressive tennis against Muchova's all-court game. And if Muchova's recent performances are any proof, she may just have the answers to her opponent's firepower at this point.
Prediction: Muchova to win in three sets
