Qatar Open 2022: Garbine Muguruza vs Jelena Ostapenko preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (5) Garbine Muguruza vs (15) Jelena Ostapenko

Date: 24 February 2022

Tournament: Qatar Open

Round: Quarterfinals

Venue: Doha, Qatar

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt

Prize money: $2,331,698

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Garbine Muguruza vs Jelena Ostapenko preview

Fifth seed Garbine Muguruza will take on the in-form Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship on Thursday.

Muguruza ended 2021 strong with the WTA Finals title, but her start to the 2022 season has been disappointing. The Spaniard has suffered early losses in Sydney, Australian Open and Dubai as well

The former World No. 1 received a bye in the first round, before defeating Sorana Cirstea and Madison Brengle in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals in Qatar.

Jelena Ostapenko at the 2022 Dubai Tennis Championship

Ostapenko has come into the tournament in phenomenal form and is one of the contenders for the title. The Latvian may have had an underwhelming start to the season but has turned it around and got past one of the more difficult draws to pick up the title in Dubai last week.

The 24-year-old defeated four Grand Slam champions -- Sofia Kenin, Iga Swiatek, Petra Kvitova, and Simona Halep -- on her way to the trophy. In Qatar, she reached the quarterfinals after defeating Oceane Dodin, Amanda Anisimova, and second seed Barbora Krejcikova.

Garbine Muguruza vs Jelena Ostapenko head-to-head

The quarterfinal in Doha will be the fifth meeting between the two players, with the 28-year-old Spaniard leading the head-to-head 3-1 over Jelena Ostapenko.

Muguruza defeated the Latvian in back-to-back meetings in Rome in 2016 and 2017. The 24-year-old got revenge in Wuhan that year, and the former World No. 1 prevailed in their encounter at the WTA Finals a few months later.

Garbine Muguruza vs Jelena Ostapenko prediction

Garbine Muguruza at the 2022 Qatar Open

Muguruza might be the favorite on paper, however, Ostapenko's current form undoubtedly gives her the edge. The Spaniard's aggressive playing style works well on hardcourts, and her backhand and serve are usually reliable. However, she has a tendency to collapse both mentally and physically as the match goes on, spraying errors and being unable to defend. Ostapenko is also prone to lapses in concentration, but she's made huge strides this season and looks supremely confident.

In full flow, as she has shown recently, Ostapenko's natural power is incredibly hard to deal with. With an improved serve and the ability to paint the lines with winners from both wings, the Latvian will pose a threat to Muguruza.

Prediction: Jelena Ostapenko to win in three sets.