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Match details
Fixture: Hsieh Su-Wei vs Marta Kostyuk
Date: 9 January 2021
Tournament: Abu Dhabi Women's Tennis Open 2021
Round: Round of 32 (Second round)
Venue: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $565,530
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel
Hsieh Su-Wei vs Marta Kostyuk preview
Hsieh Su-Wei started her 2021 season with a big upset over the eighth-seeded Marketa Vondrousova at the Abu Dhabi Women's Tennis Open. That's exactly the sort of push that the Taiwanese No. 1 would have been looking for, coming in as she was off a mostly forgettable 2020 singles season.
Hsieh, who is also one of the oldest players in the draw, now finds herself pitted against another fast-rising youngster in the form of Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk.
Kostyuk has built quite a resume at the young age of 18. She has two third-round showings at Majors, the most recent of which came at the 2020 US Open. Besides, she has notched up wins over the likes of Daria Kasatkina and Anastasija Sevastova already.
Kostyuk had a prolific junior career, winning the singles title at the Australian Open and the doubles titles at the US Open, both in 2017.
The youngster's game is well suited for the faster surfaces, as she enjoys hitting aggressively from the baseline. She also has incredible movement, and could give Hsieh a lot to think about.
Hsieh Su-Wei vs Marta Kostyuk head-to-head
Hsieh Su-Wei and Marta Kostyuk have never crossed paths on the tour before, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Hsieh Su-Wei vs Marta Kostyuk prediction
This intriguing second-round match will put Hsieh Su-Wei's guile against the power-packed game of Marta Kostyuk, and could prove to be a very tight affair. And while the court conditions in Abu Dhabi should give an edge to the big-hitting Kostyuk, her senior opponent has given ample evidence of her abilities playing against pace.
Hsieh's first-round win over Vondrousova would have given her a lot of confidence, while also putting to rest her early-season nerves. She will now look to play with more freedom heading forward.
For an instinctive player like Hsieh, that added boost alone could prove to be a match-winning ingredient.
Prediction: Hsieh Su-Wei to win in two tight sets
