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Match details
Fixture: (13) Jennifer Brady vs Jelena Ostapenko
Date: 18 August 2021
Tournament: Western & Southern Open 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Cincinnati, United States
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $1,835,490
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Jennifer Brady vs Jelena Ostapenko preview
Home favorite and 13th seed Jennifer Brady will face unseeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Wednesday.
Brady has had a torrid time on tour since reaching her maiden Grand Slam final at the Australian Open earlier this year; the American had to retire due to an injury in the third round at the French Open and was upset in the opening round of the Tokyo Olympics by Camila Giorgi.
She made a decent start to her campaign in Cincinnati, defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets. Despite landing only 52% of her first serves, Brady won an incredible 77% of the points played on her serve and registered a commanding win.
Meanwhile, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko beat Tamara Zidansek 7-5 6-1 in the opening round to snap a three-match losing streak dating back to Wimbledon.
As has become typical of matches involving Ostapenko, there were plenty of breaks of serve. The 24-year-old broke her Slovenian opponent six times over two sets while getting broken thrice herself.
The opening set was a roller-coaster affair, but after Ostapenko claimed it 7-5, she looked in complete control and registered a comfortable win.
Jennifer Brady vs Jelena Ostapenko head-to-head
Jennifer Brady leads the overall head-to-head against Jelena Ostapenko 2-1. Ostapenko won their first meeting in Stuttgart four years ago, but Brady exacted revenge with a straight-sets win in Dubai in 2019.
Their most recent meeting came at this year's Madrid Open, where Bardy swatted aside Ostapenko for the loss of a mere three games.
Jennifer Brady vs Jelena Ostapenko prediction
Jennifer Brady loves playing on hard courts, which is evident from her run on the surface in the past 15 months. Jelena Ostapenko, meanwhile, has enjoyed most of her success on the other two surfaces.
Theoretically, Brady's deadly serve and forehand should serve her well in the quicker conditions in Cincinnati. However, the 26-year-old has only ever won one main draw match in this tournament previously.
Ostapenko, meanwhile, is one of the biggest enigmas in tennis. The Latvian can take down some of the best players in the world with her big hitting, but she can also lose to just about anyone on tour on a given day.
This promises to be an enthralling encounter between two aggressive players on a surface that rewards attacking tennis.
Brady is the more consistent player of the two, but if Ostapenko has one of her better days on court, she will be able to come out on top.
Prediction: Jelena Ostapenko to win in three sets
