'%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,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match Details:
Fixture: (12) Jelena Ostapenko vs (Q) Lauren Davis
Date: October 18, 2022
Tournament: Guadalajara Open 2022
Round: First Round
Venue: Panamerican Tennis Center, Guadalajara, Mexico
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $2,527,250
Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Lauren Davis preview
12th seed Jelena Ostapenko will begin her Guadalajara campaign against American qualifier Lauren Davis.
Ostapenko had a stellar first couple of months this season during which she won the Dubai title and reached the semifinals in Doha and St. Petersburg. However, inconsistency reared its ugly head once again for the former French Open champion soon after that.
She snapped a five-match streak at Roland Garros but exited the tournament in the second round.
On the grasscourts of Eastbourne, the Latvian once again rediscovered her rhythm to finish as the runner-up to Petra Kvitova. She continued her strong showing on grass to make the last 16 at Wimbledon as well.
Ostapenko once more continued to struggle before making the final in Seoul last month. Having gone winless in Tallinn and Ostrava since then, the 25-year-old will be eager to bounce back at Guadalajara.
World No. 89 Lauren Davis, meanwhile, has a solitary title to her name and reached a career-high world ranking of 26 in 2017.
She has a 28-24 win-loss record so far this year. She made a strong start to the season by reaching the last eight at the Adelaide International 2 from the qualifying rounds. Since then, she has made the semifinals at the WTA 125 Nordea Open and the quarterfinals at the WTA 250 Parma Ladies Open and the WTA 125 Budapest Open.
Other than that, her other notable results included making the Round of 32 at the US Open, Italian Open and the Miami Open.
The 29-year-old qualified for the Guadalajara Open this week with a couple of wins over Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Nao Hibino.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Lauren Davis head-to-head
Ostapenko and Davis are tied at 2-2 in their head-to-head. They have split their last two meetings. While Ostapenko came through 6-4, 6-1 in Birmingham last year, Davis earned a 6-2, 6-3 win in their most recent encounter in Rome earlier this year.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Lauren Davis odds
(Odds sourced from oddschecker)
Jelena Ostapenko vs Lauren Davis prediction
This first round encounter in Mexico will pit two players with contrasting playing styles. While Ostapenko is an out-and-out aggressive player, Davis plays a physical brand of tennis.
The American lacks power but moves well around the court, with her speed and backhand being her standout weapon. However, Davis has a fragile serve which tends to leak double faults under pressure.
Being one of the hardest hitters on the tour, Ostapenko, meanwhile, will look to relentlessly punish the ball. The Latvian is capable of hitting a winner from any part of the court. But her game has its own pitfalls. The former French Open champion often finds it difficult to contain her unforced errors.
If Davis can move Ostapenko all over the court and eke out errors off her racquet, she could have a chance. But if she doesn't get any assistance from her own serve, she might not be able to withstand the Ostapenko onslaught for a long time.
Pick: Jelena Ostapenko to win in straight sets.
