Cincinnati 2020: Marketa Vondrousova vs Laura Siegemund preview, head-to-head & prediction | Western & Southern Open

10th seed Marketa Vondrousova will begin her Western & Southern Open campaign against the qualifier Laura Siegemund on Sunday.

Siegemund secured a place in the main draw after beating Caroline Dolehide and Kateryna Kozlova in the qualifying rounds. The German has momentum on her side, and would be eager to continue her winning run.

Vondrousova meanwhile has not had a good season so far, to say the least. The Czech player has competed in nine singles matches on the WTA tour in 2020 but has only managed to win three.

She had participated in the Palermo Ladies Open recently, where she suffered a surprising defeat to Slovenian teenager Kaja Juvan in the first round. In her last match before the COVID-19 break, Marketa was ousted in the Qatar Open's first round by Saisai Zheng.

Siegemund has a much better win-loss record in 2020, as she has won 12 of her 18 fixtures. She also made it to the second round of both the Palermo Open and the Prague Open after the resumption of the tour.

Laura Siegemund

Recent form favors Siegemund, but Vondrousova's 2019 performances can't be ignored. The Czech made it to the French Open final that year and even broke into the Top 15 of the WTA women's singles rankings, so her talent is unquestionable.

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Marketa Voundrosova vs Laura Siegemund head-to-head

Marketa Vondrousova beat Laura Siegemund in their first and only meeting

Marketa Voundrosova leads the head-to-head record against Laura Siegemund by the margin of 1-0. The two players clashed at Indian Wells last year, where Voundrosova won 6-4, 7-6 (6).

The drop shot is the biggest weapon in the Czech's arsenal, and she also has a good record in first-serve points won on the return. Laura Siegemund on her part broke her opponent's serve four times in the final round of qualifying, so this would be a battle of two strong returners.

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Marketa Voundrosova vs Laura Siegemund prediction

Laura Siegemund could upset the tenth seed

The head-to-head record and the rankings favor Vondrousova, but Siegemund has the advantage of recent history. She performed better than her Czech rival in the Palermo Open, and is a dogged competitor on most days.

Siegemund can certainly give Vondrousova a run for her money, and given her superior form this year, it may not be a surprise to see her record a victory over the 10th seed.

Prediction: Laura Siegemund to win in three sets.

Match details

Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2020

Venue: Grandstand, Flushing Meadows, New York, USA

Category: WTA Premier 5

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $1,950,079

Match timing: 12.30 pm EDT, 10 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN