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Match Details
Fixture: Anett Kontaveit vs Karolina Muchova
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open 2023
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €7,652,174
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Anett Kontaveit vs Karolina Muchova preview
Former World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit will take on Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova in the first round of the 2023 Madrid Open.
Kontaveit started the year with consecutive first-round losses at the two WTA 500 tournaments in Adelaide. She defeated Julia Grabher in the opening round of the Australian Open, but was sent packing by Magda Linette in the next round. The Estonian then headed to the Middle East to compete in the Abu Dhabi Open.
Kontaveit defeated Zhang Shuai in three sets to reach the second round, where she faced Shelby Rogers. Unfortunately, she was forced to retire towards the end of the third set during her showdown with the American. The 27-year-old was out of competition for two months after that.
Kontaveit then returned to action to represent her country in the Billie Jean King Cup earlier this month. She won three of her four singles ties, with her sole loss coming at the hands of Despina Papamichail.
Muchova, meanwhile, started the season with a quarterfinal finish at the ASB Classic, but fell in the second round of the Australian Open. She reached her second quarterfinal of the year at the Dubai Tennis Championships, but withdrew prior to her match against Jessica Pegula due to an injury.
The Czech then made it to the last eight of the BNP Paribas Open, where she was knocked out by eventual champion Elena Rybakina in three sets. Her journey at the Miami Open ended in the third round against Sorana Cirstea.
Anett Kontaveit vs Karolina Muchova head-to-head
Muchova leads Kontaveit 2-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships in straight sets.
Anett Kontaveit vs Karolina Muchova odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Anett Kontaveit vs Karolina Muchova prediction
Injuries have derailed Kontaveit's career since last year. Muchova is no stranger to physical issues either, having dealt with a fair share of them herself over the years. The Czech is in much better form now, so she'll start off as the overwhelming favorite.
Muchova's brand of tennis works quite well against Kontaveit. The former is able to match her opponent in terms of intensity of groundstrokes. What sets them apart is the Czech's ability to successfully incorporate a wide array of shots to break the rhythm of the rallies.
Both players are capable servers, but Kontaveit's back issues have contributed to her serve declining a little bit. Given the Estonian's lack of form and match play at the moment, Muchova is expected to register a comfortable victory.
Pick: Karolina Muchova to win in straight sets.
