Ningbo Open 2024: Barbora Krejcikova vs Ma YeXin preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: Barbora Krejcikova vs (Q) Ma YeXin

Date: 17 October, 2024

Tournament: Ningbo Open 2024

Round: Second Round (Round of 16)

Venue: Yinzhou Tennis Center, Ningbo, China

Category: WTA 500

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize Money: $922,573

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports

Barbora Krejcikova vs Ma YeXin preview

Barbora Krejcikova in action at the 2024 China Open (Picture: Getty)

Fourth seed Barbora Krejcikova will begin her 2024 Ningbo Open campaign in the second round on Thursday, October 17, against local qualifier Ma YeXin.

Krejcikova’s season highlight was winning Wimbledon, where she defeated the likes of Danielle Collins, Jelena Ostapenko, and former champion Elena Rybakina en route to the final where she overcame Jasmine Paolini in a tight three-set match, becoming the second-lowest-ranked Wimbledon champion in history.

She has, however, struggled for form since, exiting in the second round of the US Open and suffering a surprise first-round loss in Beijing. Most recently, she fell to Hailey Baptiste in her Wuhan opener in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5.

Ma YeXin, on the other hand, had played only one main draw match this season before the Ningbo Open, losing to Irina-Camelia Begu in the first round of the China Open despite taking the first set.

In Ningbo, she entered through the qualifiers, upsetting 10th seed Wei Sijia and then defeating former Grand Slam finalist Sara Errani to secure her second main draw appearance of the year. She followed that up with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win over Xiaodi You, notching her first main draw victory of 2024.

Barbora Krejcikova vs Ma YeXin head-to-head

Barbora Krejcikova and Ma YeXin have yet to face off in professional competition, so their head-to-head stands at 0-0.

Barbora Krejcikova vs Ma YeXin odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Barbora Krejcikova	-1400	+1.5 (-10000)	Over 18.5 (-110)
Ma YeXin	+700	-1.5 (+1050)	Under 18.5 (-125)

(Odds sourced from BetMGM)

Barbora Krejcikova vs Ma YeXin prediction

Ma YeXin in action at the 2023 NSW Tennis Open (Picture: Getty)

Barbora Krejcikova has struggled for form recently, posting a 1-3 singles record on the hardcourts since her Wimbledon triumph. She was particularly lackluster in her previous outing in Wuhan, marred by too many unforced errors and poor serving.

Ma YeXin, meanwhile, was pushed to the limit in both her qualifying matches but cruised through her main draw opener. While her serving was average, she compensated with an intense baseline game, dominating the longer rallies from the back of the court.

As they head into this contest with a similar recent form, a thrilling match is on the cards. Krejcikova may have the statistical edge, but she will need to deliver a strong performance to break out of her current slump. YeXin, on the contrary, will have the raucous support of home fans and will have absolutely nothing to lose.

Pick: Krejcikova in straight sets.