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Fixture: (32) Marta Kostyuk vs Paula Badosa.
Date: May 14, 2023.
Tournament: Italian Open 2023.
Round: Third Round (Round of 32).
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Outdoor clay.
Prize money: €3,572,618.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Marta Kostyuk vs Paula Badosa preview
Marta Kostyuk will lock horns with Paula Badosa in the third round of the 2023 Italian Open on Sunday.
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Following a first-round bye, Kostyuk faced Claire Liu in the second round. The Ukrainian blitzed through the opening set as she dished out a bagel to take it.
The second set appeared to be competitive at first as the American jumped to a 3-0 lead. Kostyuk then bagged the next five games to go 5-3 up. After a hold of serve by her opponent, the Ukrainian stepped up to serve for the match.
She needed to save three break points before managing to close out the proceedings on her first match point to win 6-0, 6-4.
Badosa, meanwhile, was up against her good friend and World No. 7 Ons Jabeur in the second round. The Spaniard made light work of her opponent in the first set, dropping just one game en route to clinching it.
Jabeur showed some fighting spirit at the start of the second set as she led 3-1. Badosa then claimed five of the next six games to win the match 6-1, 6-4. It marked her third top 10 win of the year.
Marta Kostyuk vs Paula Badosa head-to-head
The two have faced off once before in main draw matches at the WTA level, with Badosa leading 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2022 Australian Open in three sets.
Marta Kostyuk vs Paula Badosa odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Marta Kostyuk vs Paula Badosa prediction
Both players score rather comfortable victories in the previous round. It marked Kostyuk's first singles win on clay this season, while Badosa continued her good run of form since the last few weeks.
The Spaniard's forehand has been working quite well and has used it to great effect to dominate the rallies. Badosa does relinquish control of the proceedings by being a bit passive at times, especially by hitting right down the middle of the court. However, so far she has managed to gain the upper hand once again eventually.
For her part, Kostyuk will need to serve really well, or she'll find it difficult to stay in the match. She leads the tour with respect to the number of double faults hit this year. The Ukrainian threw in seven of them in her last match. Badosa does quite well during return games, so it'll only make her job easier.
The Spaniard has been on a roll recently and as such, will be the favorite to make it to the next round.
Pick: Paula Badosa to win in straight sets.
