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Match Details
Fixture: Emma Raducanu vs (Q) Viktoria Kuzmova.
Tournament: ASB Classic 2023.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: ASB Tennis Centre, Auckland, New Zealand.
Category: WTA 250.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $259,303.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | Australia - beIN Sports.
Emma Raducanu vs Viktoria Kuzmova preview
2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu will square off against qualifier Viktoria Kuzmova in the second round of the 2023 ASB Classic.
Raducanu was up against rising young star Linda Fruhvirtova in the first round. While the duo remained steady on serve initially, by the end of the set that had changed. The Brit faced three break points but managed to hold serve to make it 4-4. She then had four break point chances on her opponent's serve in the next game but wasn't able to capitalize on them.
Fruhvirtova gained the upper hand after that as she broke Raducanu's serve in the following game to capture the set. The Czech teenager showed no signs of slowing down as she jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second set.
Raducanu then bagged the next four games to pull ahead and didn't squander her lead as she claimed the set to level the proceedings. She raced to a 5-0 lead in the deciding set but stumbled while closing out the match as she dropped serve. Fruhvirtova saved three match points after that to make it 5-2.
The 20-year-old stepped up to close out the match yet again and was successful on her second attempt as she wrapped up a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 comeback win.
Kuzmova defeated Elizabeth Mandlik and Varvara Gracheva to qualify for the main draw. She took on fourth seed Bernarda Pera in the first round. The Slovenian snagged a break in the seventh game of the opening set to go 4-3 up. After saving three break points, she further extended her lead to 5-3.
Kuzmova held three set points on her Pera's serve in the next game, but the American put up a fight to erase them for a hold of serve. Nevertheless, she served out the set in the next game to put herself in the lead.
Pera jumped to a 3-0 lead to start the second set, but Kuzmova turned the tables on her by claiming the next five games. The match ended pretty soon after that, with the qualifier winning 6-4, 6-4.
Emma Raducanu vs Viktoria Kuzmova head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Emma Raducanu vs Viktoria Kuzmova odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Emma Raducanu vs Viktoria Kuzmova prediction
Raducanu staged a spirited comeback to start the new season on a winning note. While she hit her forehand well for most of the first set, some untimely errors cost her the set in the end. She made some tactical adjustments which paid off well after that.
The Brit attacked her opponent's weak second serve when the opportunity presented itself. Her unforced error count was a little high overall, but considering it was her first match in three months, it's not too concerning at the moment.
Kuzmova, too, faced some challenges in her first-round clash but came through to score an upset win over Pera. She has played quite well in Auckland so far, coming through the qualifying rounds as well. But she'll need to raise her level if she wants to get the better of the former US Open champion. That being said, this is Raducanu's match to lose.
Pick: Emma Raducanu to win in straight sets.
