US Open 2020: Petra Kvitova vs Irina-Camelia Begu preview, head-to-head and prediction

Match details

Fixture: Petra Kvitova vs Irina-Camelia Begu

Date: 31 August 2020

Tournament: US Open 2020

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $39,024,000

Match timing: 12.30 pm EDT, 10 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Hotstar

Petra Kvitova vs Irina-Camelia Begu preview

Petra Kvitova would be looking to move past her early exit in Cincinnati as she kick-starts her 2020 US Open campaign on Day 1 of the tournament.

The Czech star lost a tough three-set match against compatriot Marie Bouzkova last week, but was unusually impressed with her own performance. And there's good reason for that; even in the loss, Kvitova looked to be in fine touch and was striking the ball cleanly up until the business end of the final set.

A few extra days of acclimatizing with the court conditions and the New York weather would have done her good. Kvitova is now set to take on the talented Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu in her first round match.

Irina-Camelia Begu

Begu hasn't had the of seasons on the main tour, but is heading into the tournament on the back of a couple of titles on the WTA 125K and ITF circuits. Those sort of wins would give the Romanian the much-needed confidence heading into a big match like this one.

Begu knows that she has the game needed to trouble Kvitova, but just needs the additional belief that she can execute it on the day.

What's also interesting is the fact that while many might see Begu as a claycourt specialist, she has been equally successful on faster surfaces. Her aggressive game has won her three titles on hard-courts, and Kvitova will be well aware of the threat that she poses.

Petra Kvitova vs Irina-Camelia Begu head-to-head

Petra Kvitova leads the duo's head-to-head record.

Petra Kvitova has won all of the duo's previous meetings and leads the head-to-head 4-0. Her latest win was at last year's Australian Open, where the Czech scored a clinical 6-1, 6-3 win.

Both women known each other's games well and it will really come down to executing their strategy on the given day. Kvitova definitely has the more powerful game from the baseline, but Begu also likes to be in control of the points.

The Romanian will do her best to mix things up in hopes of upsetting Kvitova's rhythm; the Czech needs to be prepared for that sort of variety.

Petra Kvitova vs Irina-Camelia Begu prediction

Irina-Camelia Begu enters this contest as a definite underdog, and will need to produce her best tennis to stand a chance of staging an upset. Given her recent results and Kvitova's own surging confidence, it might be an uphill task.

If she keeps her unforced errors in check, the Czech should have enough firepower to come through this one unscathed.

Prediction: Petra Kvitova to win in straight sets.