'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABcAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABggQAAICAgIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQABQYHERMiIQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBEBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIRAAOh/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDPPXnGdGeddfU7VNLEc0BDfToWEoDfZVvJKu5bJLe7ja0t5s6sMGnEUF2eNAaJJCo5A/fZjGEYizaBTOTXpflMkODr97//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Aryna Sabalenka vs (13) Jelena Ostapenko
Date: February 22, 2023
Tournament: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2023
Round: Third round (Round of 16)
Venue: Aviation Club Tennis Center, Dubai, UAE
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Match timing: Not before 7 pm local time, 3 pm GMT, 10 am EST, 8.30 pm IST
Prize money: $2,788,468
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Aryna Sabalenka vs Jelena Ostapenko preview
Newly crowned Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka faces former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko in a battle for a quarterfinal berth in Dubai on Wednesday.
Sabalenka has made a dream start to the year. The Belarusian is now 12-0 for the year, having lifted trophies at the Adelaide International 1 and the first Major of the season. In these 12 matches, the World No. 2 has conceded just a solitary set, which was in the final of the Australian Open against Elena Rybakina.
Fresh off her maiden Grand Slam victory, the 24-year-old is now aiming to win the Dubai Championships for the first time. She began her quest on Tuesday with a commanding 6-0, 6-1 win over lucky loser Lauren Davis.
World No. 20 Jelena Ostapenko, on the other hand, has been inconsistent in the first couple of months of the year.
She managed to win just one match in the two Adelaide tournaments in the lead-up to the Australian Open. At Melbourne Park, however, the Latvian found her range to reach the quarterfinals for the very first time.
Her return to the Middle East has so far been underwhelming. Ostapenko has won just one match each in Abu Dhabi and Doha in the last two weeks.
Back in Dubai this week as the defending champion, the 25-year-old finally seems to have got back into the groove. She brushed away Katarina Zavatska and Linda Fruhvirtova to race into the last 16, dropping just seven games along the way.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Jelena Ostapenko head-to-head
Sabalenka has a 1-0 lead in her head-to-head with Ostapenko. The Belarusian annihilated Ostapenko 6-1, 6-2 in their only meeting so far in Zhengzhou in 2019.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Jelena Ostapenko odds
(Odds sourced from oddschecker.com)
Aryna Sabalenka vs Jelena Ostapenko prediction
This will be an interesting collision between Sabalenka's 12-match winning streak for the year and Ostapenko's seven-match unbeaten run in Dubai. With two of the hardest hitters on the tour going head-to-head in this contest, we are in for an enthralling battle.
However, Sabalenka has been head and shoulders above the rest of the tour this year. She has been striking the ball with tremendous confidence and has improved her defense remarkably. Most importantly, she has learned to control her aggression and looks mentally stronger under pressure. This version of Sabalenka looks deadly to any of her opponents.
That said, Ostapenko is one player who can match Sabalenka power for power, but her inability to rein in her unforced errors has led to her downfall on many an occasion. If the Latvian concedes an early break of serve, she might not find too many opportunities to get back into contention.
Additionally, Sabalenka has a good record in Middle Eastern conditions. She already has the Doha and Abu Dhabi titles to her name and will be eager to complete the set by winning in Dubai.
Pick: Sabalenka to win in straight sets.
