Stuttgart 2021: Petra Kvitova vs Jennifer Brady preview, head-to-head & prediction | Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

Match details

Fixture: (7) Petra Kvitova vs Jennifer Brady

Date: 20 April 2021

Tournament: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2021

Round: First round (Round of 32)

Venue: Stuttgart, Germany

Category: WTA 500

Surface: Clay

Prize money: $565,530

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Europsort

Petra Kvitova vs Jennifer Brady preview

Defending champion Petra Kvitova is set to open her 2021 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix campaign with a first-round match against Jennifer Brady on Tuesday.

Kvitova, who ended an uncharacteristic title drought by winning Dubai last month, will be hopeful of a positive start to her Stuttgart trophy defence. A good showing against an in-form opponent like Brady would come as a shot in the arm for the seventh seed.

Jennifer Brady

Brady, on her part, had made a blazing start to the season. After making the last four at the Australian Open tune-up event in Melbourne, she came into her own over the course of the next fortnight.

The American reached her maiden Grand Slam final Down Under, registering a string of impressive wins along the way. And while she did go down to Naomi Osaka in the summit clash, she still made a huge statement with her performances.

Brady has since suffered consecutive first-round losses, but she definitely has the potential to turn things around quickly. The 26-year-old has a well-rounded game that works well on all surfaces, and Kvitova will be well aware of the threat.

Petra Kvitova vs Jennifer Brady head-to-head

Serving well will be key fo Petra Kvitova in this partivular matchup.

Petra Kvitova has never lost to Jennifer Brady, and leads the duo's head-to-head 2-0. That said, Brady has troubled her opponent in the past, having pushed the Czech to the brink in their meeting at the 2019 Dubai Tennis Championships.

Petra Kvitova vs Jennifer Brady prediction

Petra Kvitova will enter this contest as the favorite on paper, but will need to play with a certain level of caution. She didn't make the best of transitions from hardcourt to clay in Charleston last week, and could need some time to settle in.

The Czech is likely to step out with an aggressive intent, looking to attack her opponeny's serve from the get-go. The key for Kvitova, however, will lie in staying strong in her own service games. When she is posting good numbers in that department, the 31-year-old can make life very difficult for her opponents.

Jennifer Brady will also need to find a way to bring together all the smaller elements of her game, something she hasn't been able to do in her recent matches. The American has some powerful weapons of her own - particularly the serve and forehand - and she will need to put them to good use and take time away from her opponent.

If she is unable to do that, she will give Kvitova an opportunity to settle into the match. And once the Czech starts to strike the ball cleanly, there's only so much that anyone can do to stop her.

Prediction: Petra Kvitova to win in two tight sets.