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Match details
Fixture: (3) Jelena Ostapenko vs (Q) Arianne Hartono
Date: 16 September 2021
Tournament: Luxembourg Open 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Kockelscheuer, Luxembourg
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: $235,238
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Jelena Ostapenko vs Arianne Hartono preview
Third seed Jelena Ostapenko will take on Dutch qualifier Arianne Hartono in the second round of the 2021 Luxembourg Open on Thursday. While Ostapenko eased past Jule Niemeier 6-2, 6-2 in the first round, Hartono had to grind out a 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(4) win over Anna-Lena Friedsam.
Ostapenko's season got off to a dismal start and she failed to reach a single quarter-final until the Italian Open in May. She had a shift in fortunes during the grasscourt swing, bagging her fourth career title after beating Anett Kontaveit in the final at Eastbourne.
The Latvian could not build on that momentum, though, and suffered a third-round exit at Wimbledon. After early exits in the Canadian Open and Cincinnati, Ostapenko was forced to withdraw from the US Open due to medical reasons.
She will be hoping to get back on track in Luxembourg, where she lifted the trophy in 2019.
Her second-round opponent, Arianne Hartono, has plied her trade mainly on the ITF circuit, enjoying most of her success as a doubles player. She made the doubles final at ITF events in France and Spain before bagging the title in Portugal.
The Dutchwoman achieved a new career milestone earlier this week when she bagged her maiden WTA main-draw victory.
Hartono, ranked No. 300 in the world, has played plenty of collegiate tennis in the United States and is now looking to make a mark on the WTA Tour.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Arianne Hartono head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between Jelena Ostapenko and Arianne Hartono, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Arianne Hartono prediction
The huge gulf in rankings and experience makes Jelena Ostapenko the overwhelming favorite in this encounter.
Ostapenko and Hartono aren't the biggest of servers, and both players often struggle with double faults. In her previous match against Friedsam, Hartono committed 10 double faults and landed only 52% of her first serves. That will be a recipe for disaster against a player as aggressive as Ostapenko.
The Latvian, for her part, will look to dominate the baseline rallies with her powerful groundstrokes. If Ostapenko can keep her unforced errors under control, she should be able to sail into the third round.
Prediction: Jelena Ostapenko to win in straight sets.
