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Match details
Fixture: (2) Garbine Muguruza vs (6) Ons Jabeur
Date: 3 October 2021
Tournament: Chicago Fall Tennis Classic 2021
Round: Final
Venue: Chicago, USA
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $565,530
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Garbine Muguruza vs Ons Jabeur preview
Second seed Garbine Muguruza will face off against sixth seed Ons Jabeur in the final of the inaugural Chicago Fall Tennis Classic.
Muguruza's road to the final has been rather easy. She's only played two matches, winning both in straight sets. The Spaniard was also the beneficiary of two walkovers, one against Victoria Azarenka in the third round and another in the semifinal against Marketa Vondrousova, who withdrew due to food poisoning.
Muguruza had a brilliant start to the year, winning the WTA 1000 title in Dubai and making two more finals. However, an injury sustained during the start of the clay swing in Charleston derailed her season and she couldn't perform at a high level for the next few months.
At the 2021 US Open, she reached the fourth round, where she lost to Barbora Krejcikova. Playing in her first event since then, the former World No. 1 has reached her first final in almost seven months.
Meanwhile, Ons Jabeur reached the final after her opponent Elena Rybakina was forced to retire due to an injury from their semifinal match. The Tunisian led 6-4 3-2 when the Kazakh called it quits.
2021 has been the best year of Jabeur's career. She reached her first ever quarterfinal at Wimbledon and matched her career best results at Roland Garros and the US Open. The 27-year-old won her maiden title at the Birmingham Open and reached a career-high ranking of world no. 16 earlier this week.
Jabeur has been in good form throughout this week with wins over players like Elina Svitolina, Jessica Pegula and Hsieh Su-Wei. Now, in her third final of the season, she'll be looking to win the biggest title of her career.
Garbine Muguruza vs Ons Jabeur head-to-head
Garbine Muguruza and Ons Jabeur have played each other twice and their head-to-head is tied at 1-1. Both of their matches have gone the distance, with Jabeur winning their most recent meeting at Wimbledon this year.
Garbine Muguruza vs Ons Jabeur prediction
The final will be a clash of contrasting playstyles. While Muguruza likes to play aggressively and call the shots from the baseline, Jabeur's game is built around her variety and disrupting her opponent's rhythm with unconventional shot-making.
The Tunisian will have a slight edge in this match as Muguruza hasn't really been tested on her way to the final. Jabeur has played incredible matches against quality players this week, including a comeback win over Jessica Pegula. This should hold her in good stead to win her second title of the season.
Prediction: Ons Jabeur to win in three sets.
