Day 3 of the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships features an all-Romanian clash between Elena-Gabriela Ruse and former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep, as well as a battle between two former Roland Garros champions in a ,href=”https://lastwordonsports.com/tennis/2017/06/11/after-boom-boom-becker-its-omg-ostapenko/” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Jelena Ostapenko vs Iga Swiatek and not forgetting a mouth watering clash between Petra Kvitova and Aryna Sabalenka.
WTA Dubai Day 3 Predictions
Jelena Ostapenko vs Iga Swiatek
Head-to-head: Ostapenko 2-0
Now only has the Latvian won both their encounters convincingly including on the hard courts of Indian Wells just a few months ago, their first encounter featured the Pole just winning two games. However, the 20 year old is coming into this event with a good semi-final run at the Australian Open and a very easy first round win against top 30 player Kasatkina so her form is good. Ostapenko also had a very easy first round win against Sofia Kenin but given the American’s form the past year there might not be much to look into there. All things considered, Swiatek is the favorite to get her first win against Ostapenko here.
Prediction: Swiatek in 3
Elena Gabriela Ruse vs Simona Halep
Head-to-head: Halep 2-0
In a battle of the Romanians, it’s safe to say not many people saw this coming. Ruse started her tournament as a qualifier and after drawing third seed and world #5 Paula Badosa in the first round, not many expected her to push the Spaniard let alone win. Unfortunately for Ruse however, despite Halep being ranked outside the top 20 now, it’s not a good matchup for the younger Romanian. Their match last November featured the 24 year old winning three games and In Melbourne just last month just another three games. It’s safe to say we know which way this one will most likely go.
Prediction: Halep in 3
Barbora Krejcikova vs Dayana Yastremska
Head-to-head: Krejicikova 1-0
It was as stunning effort for the world #146 to qualify here and even better effort to win her opening match against Begu but what a task she’s in for now. The world #3 ever since winning Roland Garros out of nowhere last year has only gone strength to strength and is no stranger in making the latter rounds of events. Just like their only encounter which ended 6-1 7-6 to the Czech, it feels like this will be a similar or perhaps more convincing win given the slower courts here than their last match favor the reigning Roland Garros champion more.
Prediction: Krejicikova in 2
Petra Kvitova vs Aryna Sabalenka
Head-to-head: 2-2
What a treat of a round 16 match we have in Dubai with the World #2 taking on the two-time Wimbledon champion. The woman from Belarus was absolutely ruthless in her opening match just losing the five games against fellow top 50 opponent Kostyuk and is looking to rewrite a disappointing start to the year. Kvitova on the other hand just dropped the two games beating Camila Giorgi which no one expected but in fairness was a lot down to a horrible day at the office for the Italian. Truth be told the last time the Czech played great back-to-back matches was last summer so it’s been a while. No doubt it will happen again but asking for it to be against someone as powerful as Sabalenka who can beat Kvitova at her own game is asking for too much.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Main Photo from Getty.
