Cincinnati 2020: Christina McHale vs Ons Jabeur preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open

Match details

Fixture: Christina McHale vs Ons Jabeur

Date: 25 August 2020

Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020

Round: Round of 16

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: WTA Premier 5

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $1,950,079

Match timing: 5 pm EDT, 2:30 am IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN

Christina McHale vs Ons Jabeur preview

A surprise third round encounter will see American Christina McHale take on Tunisian star Ons Jabeur for a last eight berth at the 2020 Western & Southern Open.

McHale, who has struggled with a recurrent elbow injury for the past few years, has shown signs of the revival in the ongoing season. But she faces an uphill task against another quality player in the form of Jabeur.

The Tunisian is in the midst of a very good season, having reached her first Slam quarterfinal and a career high ranking at the start of 2020. Add her impeccable wins over the last two days to the mix, and things begin to look very ominous for her opponent.

Ons Jabuer beat defending champion Madison Keys in her last match.

Jabeur got the better of defending champion and seventh seed Madison Keys in her last match. The dominant 6-4, 6-1 scoreline will give her huge confidence heading into the business end of the tournament.

Keys is a great hardcourt player and big striker of the ball, but Jabeur brought out her signature mix of slice passes, drop shots and booming forehands to push her higher-ranked opponent into a corner.

The Tunisian has managed to produce that sort of performance frequently over the last few months, against a vast variety of players. On the days that she is playing a measured and calculated game, Jabeur can be a formidable challenge for any opponent.

Christina McHale vs Ons Jabeur head-to-head

Christina McHale will look to take control of the baseline rallies using her strong groundstrokes

Christina McHale leads the head-to-head against Ons Jabeur 1-0, having won the duo's only prior meeting. But that was way back in 2017, and Jabeur is a completely different player now.

The American does share some similarities with her opponent; she has an equally explosive forehand and possesses great foot speed too. She might not posses all the variety of shots from the baseline, but is a strong forecourt player owing to her experience in doubles.

From the looks of it, both women will start off by fighting for control of the baseline. But given their well-rounded games, they will also likely have a plan B to fall back on.

Christina Mchale vs Ons Jabeur prediction

Ons Jabeur will be a slight favorite coming into this one, mostly because of the type of season that she has had up to this point. But Christina McHale can take heart from her own performances leading up to this match, and would do well to remember how quickly things can change against a big-risk player.

With an open draw ahead, McHale has a great chance at the big result that she has been for looking for since a while. And that might just be the extra bit of inspiration that sees her through this one.

Prediction: Christina McHale to win in three sets.