Australian Open 2021: Petra Kvitova vs Greet Minnen preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Petra Kvitova vs Greet Minnen

Date: 8 February 2021

Tournament: Australian Open 2021

Round: First round (Round of 128)

Venue: Melbourne, Australia

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: AUD $80 million

Match timing: 7 pm local time, 1.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony Six

Petra Kvitova vs Greet Minnen preview

Petra Kvitova is all set to launch her bid for the 2021 Australian Open, and she will begin with a first-round clash against Greet Minnen that is scheduled for the night session on Monday.

Kvitova will be keen on getting past the disappointing end to her Yarra Valley Classic campaign. Playing in her first tournament of the season, the Czech star was ousted in the third round by Nadia Podoroska.

Greet Minnen

Minnen meanwhile enters this year's tournament with a few good results under her belt. She has already won three qualification matches to get to this stage, and has also scored main draw wins over the likes of Dayana Yastrzemska and Olga Danilovic in her last two outings.

The Belgian also enjoys playing on the courts Down Under. In fact, it was at the 2020 Australian Open that she won her first main draw Grand Slam match.

All of those factors should bolster Minnen's confidence ahead of this first round contest against the big-hitting Kvitova.

Petra Kvitova vs Greet Minnen head-to-head

Petra Kvitova will look to make the best of her big groundstrokes.

Petra Kvitova leads Greet Minnen in the head-to-head with a slender 1-0 margin. The Czech won the duo's only prior meeting, which came on the clay-courts of Stuttgart in 2019.

Petra Kvitova vs Greet Minnen prediction

Petra Kvitova enters this contest as a heavy favorite. The Czech has had some big results on Australian soil over the years, with her most memorable outing being the run to the final at the 2019 Australian Open.

Having landed in a packed section of the draw (which features six Grand Slam champions), Kvitova will be looking to navigate her early matches safely by bringing some measure of consistency into her game.

Greet Minnen on the other hand will need to be spot on with her defense and also protect her serve well. A passive approach is unlikely to reap any rewards, so it will be up to Minnen to use her front court game and put pressure on her opponent.

The last time that Kvitova suffered a hard loss akin to the Podoroska upset, she responded strongly by reaching the Roland Garros semifinals. If Minnen isn't careful, she could be at the recieving end of something similar.

Prediction: Petra Kvitova to win in straight sets.