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Match details
Fixture: (1) Elina Svitolina vs (7) Kristina Mladenovic
Date: 26 August 2021
Tournament: Chicago Women's Open 2021
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Chicago, United States
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $235,238
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Elina Svitolina vs Kristina Mladenovic preview
Top seed Elina Svitolina will take on Kristina Mladenovic in the quarterfinals of the Chicago Women's Open on Thursday. While Svitolina edged past Fiona Ferro 6-4, 6-4 in the Round of 16, Mladenovic defeated Canadian wildcard Francoise Abanda 6-3, 6-2.
Svitolina hasn't enjoyed the best of seasons by her own lofty standards. She has failed to make a single final on the WTA Tour. Her best results came in Miami and Stuttgart, where she reached the semifinals before losing to Ashleigh Barty on both occasions. The highlight for the Ukrainian is the bronze medal she won at the Tokyo Olympics.
The World No. 6 failed to win a single match in Montreal and Cincinnati, but appears to have found some form in Chicago, where she beat Clara Burel and Ferro to reach the last eight.
Her next opponent, Kristina Mladenovic, is in the midst of a poor season. She has a dismal 14-19 win-loss record and dropped out of the top 50 earlier this year for the first time since 2019.
However, Mladenovic has enjoyed some success in doubles. By making the final in Rome alongside Marketa Vondrousova, the Frenchwoman regained the World No. 1 ranking in May.
The 28-year-old seems to have rediscovered her touch in Chicago, where she beat Zarina Diyas and Abanda to make it to the quarterfinals. Mladenovic will now look to beat Elina Svitolina for the third time in her career and secure a berth in her first semi-final this season.
Elina Svitolina vs Kristina Mladenovic head-to-head
Elina Svitolina and Kristina Mladenovic have met twice before, with the Frenchwoman leading the head-to-head 2-0. Their most recent meeting took place in 2019 in Zhengzhou, where Mladenovic eked out a three-set win.
Elina Svitolina vs Kristina Mladenovic prediction
Both women will approach this match differently. While Elina Svitolina will look to prolong the rallies and draw errors from Mladenovic's racket, the Frenchwoman will try to dictate play and approach the net to finish points quickly.
Both players possess middling serves and are prone to making double faults under pressure. In her previous match against Fiona Ferro, Svitolina racked up six double faults and won just 56% of the points on her first serve.
She will hope to improve those numbers against Mladenovic in the quarterfinals. If Svitolina can keep a check on her unforced errors, she should be able to eke out her first ever victory over the Frenchwoman.
Prediction: Elina Svitolina to win in straight sets.
