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Match details
Fixture: (11) Petra Kvitova vs Magda Linette
Date: 10 May 2021
Tournament: Internazionali BNL d'italia 2021
Round: First round (Round of 64)
Venue: Rome, Italy
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €1,577,613
Match timing: Approx. 12 pm local time, 3.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Petra Kvitova vs Magda Linette preview
Petra Kvitova will open her 2021 Italian Open campaign with a first-round encounter against Poland's Magda Linette on Monday.
Kvitova - who is the 11th seed at this year's tournament - hasn't always had the best results in Rome. In fact, she has never made it past the quarterfinal stage here.
That said, Kvitova has staged decent runs in her last two claycourt events, and will be hopeful of carrying the momentum into this tournament as well.
Magda Linette, on her part, has had a tough start to the new season. The Pole - who was at a career-high ranking of No. 33 just about a year ago - suffered a knee injury towards the end of 2020 and hasn't quite managed to find her form on return.
Linette has managed to win just one match in her five WTA appearances this year. It goes without saying that she will need to make significant improvements to stand a chance against Kvitova on Monday.
Petra Kvitova vs Magda Linette head-to-head
Petra Kvitova leads Magda Linette 2-0 in head-to-head matchups. The Czech has won both encounters in straight sets, and will be keen to continue her dominance in this fixture.
Petra Kvitova vs Magda Linette prediction
Petra Kvitova has dropped a total of just eight games in her last two meetings with Magda Linette. That, combined with her recent results, makes her the firm favorite for this contest.
Still, Kvitova cannot afford to take her opponent lightly, especially in the slower court conditions at Rome.
Linette is a strong counterpuncher and plays some of her best tennis on the red dirt. But she will have very little time to find her stride against the Czech, who will look to take control of the match from the get-go.
Linette cannot afford to give Kvitova too much time to settle into her rhythm, because there's only so much that the Pole can do to stop her once that happens.
Prediction: Petra Kvitova to win in straight sets.
