J&T Banka Ostrava Open 2020: Ons Jabeur vs Jelena Ostapenko preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Ons Jabeur vs Jelena Ostapenko

Date: 22 October 2020

Tournament: J & T Banka Ostrava Open 2020

Round: Second round (Round of 16)

Venue: Ostrava, Czech Republic

Category: WTA Premier

Surface: Indoor hardcourt

Prize money: $528,500

Match timing: 12 pm CEST, 3.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel

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Ons Jabeur vs Jelena Ostapenko preview

After reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros 2020, Ons Jabeur has continued her fine form in Ostrava. The Tunisian star recorded a straight-sets victory over local favorite Barbora Strycova in the first round on Tuesday.

Jabeur seemed almost flawless in every aspect of her game against Strycova. She dropped just four games and won 65% of her second serve points, while breaking her opponent's serve five times in the contest.

The 26-year-old had a decent hardcourt season in the United States, where she made it to the quarterfinals of the Top Seed Open and the Western & Southern Open. Jabeur followed that up with a third-round finish at the US Open.

Jelena Ostapenko

Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko meanwhile has impressed many with her performances against higher-ranked players of late. She skipped the hardcourt events in the United States, which helped her put together a decent clay swing.

Ostapenko reached the Strasbourg quarterfinals, defeating Kiki Bertens and Lauren Davis along the way. She also knocked out second seed Karolina Pliskova from the French Open in the second round.

The 23-year-old has continued from where she left off, downing fifth seed Petra Martic in the first round of the Ostrava Open. The Riga-born player broke her opponent's serve five times and had a magnificent 78% win rate on the first serve.

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Ons Jabeur vs Jelena Ostapenko head-to-head

Jelena Ostapenko leads Ons Jabeur 1-0 in the head-to-head record. The two players had crossed paths in 2015 at the ITF level tournament in Sobota/Rokietnica, where Ostapenko beat Jabeur in straight sets.

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Ons Jabeur vs Jelena Ostapenko prediction

Ons Jabeur

Ons Jabeur starts as the favorite in this encounter given her opponent's rather volatile playing style. The World No. 32 has an attacking, multi-faceted game that works particularly well on the quick indoor hardcourts.

Jelena Ostapenko can dictate the rallies with her strong groundstrokes, but she is prone to making a few too many unforced errors when put under pressure. The steadier Jabeur would fancy her chances of taking advantage if the Latvian suffers any lapse in concentration.

Prediction: Ons Jabeur to win in three sets.