Dubai Tennis Championships 2022: Ons Jabeur vs Vera Zvonareva preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (8) Ons Jabeur vs (WC) Vera Zvonareva

Tournament: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2022

Date: 15 February 2022

Round: First round (Round of 32)

Venue: Dubai, UAE

Category: WTA 500

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Match timing: Approx 3.30 pm local time, 11.30 am GMT, 6.30 am ET, 5 pm IST

Prize money: $703,580

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

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Ons Jabeur vs Vera Zvonareva preview

Eighth seed Ons Jabeur will begin her Dubai campaign with a first-round encounter against Russian veteran Vera Zvonareva on Tuesday.

Jabeur's start to the new season has been plagued by a back injury. The Tunisian was forced to retire from her Sydney quarterfinal against Anett Kontaveit, and subsequently pulled out of the Australian Open too.

Now fully recovered, Jabeur will be hoping to build on her strong fall run last year, when she reached the Chicago final and Indian Wells semifinals.

Two-time Grand Slam runner-up Vera Zvonareva has also made a slow start to the season. The World No. 103 has managed to win just one match since making the semifinals at the Limoges WTA 125 event last December.

But while Zvonareva has struggled for consistency in singles, she has fared much better in doubles. The 37-year-old has reached the semis of both Melbourne Summer Set 1 and St. Petersburg this year.

Having been a wildcard into Dubai, Zvonareva will be keen to translate her doubles success onto the singles arena too.

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Ons Jabeur vs Vera Zvonareva head-to-head

Ons Jabeur and Vera Zvonareva are locked at 1-1 in the head-to-head. While Zvonareva thumped Jabeur 6-2, 6-3 at the 2015 Australian Open, the Tunisian avenged the loss with a 6-2, 6-2 decision in Bucharest three years later.

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Ons Jabeur vs Vera Zvonareva prediction

Ons Jabeur is the favorite in this match by dint of her higher ranking and better form over the last few months. But she could be rusty after her injury break, and might need some time to rediscover her touch.

Vera Zvonareva, on her part, would look to make an early statement with her attacking groundstrokes. However, her serve has been a worrying factor of late. The World No. 103 coughed up as many as eight double faults in her three-set loss to Tereza Martincova in the St. Petersburg first round.

If Zvonareva's serving woes reappear, things could get very difficult for her on Tuesday. Jabeur is an excellent returner, and her creativity while constructing points makes it tough for opponents to win long rallies.

The Tunisian's slice-and-dropshot combination is likely to get Zvonareva out of position repeatedly, and it's hard to imagine how the Russian can neutralize that tactic.

Prediction: Ons Jabeur to win in straight sets.