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Match Details
Fixture: Petra Kvitova vs (27) Ons Jabeur
Date: May 8, 2024
Tournament: Italian Open 2025
Round: First Round
Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
Category: ATP 1000
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €8,055,385
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports
Petra Kvitova vs Ons Jabeur preview
The second round of the 2025 Italian Open will pit two former World No. 2s, Petra Kvitova and Ons Jabeur, against each other in an intriguing clash.
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Kvitova, who is a former quarterfinalist at the Italian Open, opened her campaign with a solid 7-5, 6-1 win over Irina-Camelia Begu. It was her first win since 2023 as she had been on a maternity break from the sport.
The Czech returned to the sport as recently as February this year and went 0-4 in her first four Tour-level appearances. The win over Begu would have come as a big confidence booster and she will look to build on it.
Jabeur, meanwhile, is also on a comeback trail after having been plagued by a shoulder injury at the back end of last year. Her season's overall win-loss stands at a modest 12-9.
The Tunisian's standout results have been two quarterfinals showings at Abu Dhabi and Doha in the Middle East, but her form has gone downhill since. She has won only one match since and has no wins to show for on claycourts this season.
Petra Kvitova vs Ons Jabeur head-to-head
Kvitova leads their current head-to-head 4-2. Their last meeting was in the 4th round of Wimbledon, which the Tunisian won in straight sets.
Petra Kvitova vs Ons Jabeur odds
(Odds will be updated when available)
Petra Kvitova vs Ons Jabeur prediction
Petra Kvitova and Ons Jabeur bring very different styles of tennis to their match-ups, with the former being a power-hitter and aggressive baseliner, and the latter being a crafty all-court player.
Kvitova likes to take the ball early and push her opponents on the backfoot with her big groundstrokes, but those tactics don't always work well in slower conditions. Her serve, usually a weapon, has been hit-and-miss since her return to the tour. That said, her performance against Irina-Camelia Begu in the opener was her best by far in that department as she won nearly 70% of the points on her first serve.
Jabeur's game has also not returned to the level that saw her make three Grand Slam finals just a couple of years ago. That said, the Tunisian can weave a web with her smart use of short angles, slice and dropshots.
The biggest challenge for Jabeur will be to defend her own serve against the aggresive return game of her opponent. The Tunisian has the tools needed to frustrate Kvitova, especially the drop shots that can expose the Czech's poor movement since return, but she will need to be at her best to make an impact.
Fans can expect a close contest, but the match will in all likelihood be played on Kvitova's racket. Her level is improving gradually but the high-risk game coupled with the relative lack of match play in recent months means that the chances of things going wrong for her are much higher than for her opponent. If Jabeur can extend the rallies and push Kvitova out of het comfort zone consistently enough, she might just pull through.
Prediction: Jabeur to win in three sets.
