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Match details
Fixture: Petra Kvitova vs Danka Kovinic
Date: 8 April 2021
Tournament: Volvo Car Open 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 16)
Venue: Charleston, United States
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Green clay
Prize money: $823,000
Match timing: Approx. 1 pm local time, 10.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Europsort
Petra Kvitova vs Danka Kovinic preview
Petra Kvitova opened her 2021 Charleston Open campaign with a hard-fought straight-sets win over Australia's Storm Sanders on Tuesday.
It was Kvitova's first win ever on green clay. The Czech, who is only playing in her second Charleston Open, had lost to Karolina Pliskova in her last appearance.
She didn't look too comfortable out on the court at the start of this match either, but grew in confidence later.
Kovinic, meanwhile, has managed to register consecutive wins for the first time in 2021. Having opened with a victory over Romania's Gabriela Talaba, she went on to upset the recently crowned Monterrey champion Leylah Fernandez.
The Montenegrin created several opportunities for herself in the match but needed three marathon sets to close out the match. She will now be feeling confident about her prospects in the tournament, and could well ask a few questions of Kvitova.
Petra Kvitova vs Danka Kovinic head-to-head
Petra Kvitova leads Danka Kovinic in the head-to-head by a 2-0 margin. That said, the Montenegrin has troubled Kvitova in the past; both their previous matches were highly-competitive three-setters.
Petra Kvitova vs Danka Kovinic prediction
Petra Kvitova will enter this match as the favorite on paper, but things could transpire differently on court. The Czech looked slightly unsettled playing on green clay for just the second time in her career on Tuesday, and a lot will depend on her ability to adjust.
To add to that, Danka Kovinic has caused problems for the big-hitting Czech with her dogged style of play. She is known for her speed and ability to chase down big groundstrokes, and that's the sort of opposition that Kvitova doesn't enjoy playing against.
For Kovinic, the key will be to stay close on the scoreboard and make her opponent work extra. But if she falls behind early, Kvitova will settle into the match and there's only so much that Montenegrin can do past that point.
Prediction: Petra Kvitova to win in two tight sets.
