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Match details
Fixture: (15) Petra Kvitova vs (22) Donna Vekic
Date: March 26, 2023
Tournament: Miami Open 2023
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Miami Gardens, Florida, United States
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $8,800,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel/TC Plus | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Petra Kvitova vs Donna Vekic preview
Two big ballstrikers — Petra Kvitova and Donna Vekic — will lock horns in the third round of the 2023 Miami Open on Sunday.
Kvitova, the 15th seed, is looking to reach the second week of the WTA 1000 event for the fourth time in her career. She made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament last year before losing out to eventual champion Iga Swiatek.
The Czech entered the 2023 edition fresh off a quarterfinal run in Indian Wells — where she beat the likes of Jessica Pegula and Jelena Ostapenko. She opened her Miami Open campaign with a ruthless 6-3, 6-0 dismissal of talented youngster Linda Noskova and will look to build on the same.
Vekic has also been playing some fine tennis in 2023 and already has a title to show for it. She beat the likes of Caroline Garcia and Zhu Lin en route to lifting the trophy in Monterrey — her fourth career singles title.
While her progress was somewhat halted with a first-round exit at Indian Wells, she seemed to have steadied the ship in Miami. After a slow start, she overcame the challenge from Madison Brengle — recording a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win to advance to the third round.
Petra Kvitova vs Donna Vekic head-to-head
Kvitova leads Vekic in their head-to-head with a 3-1 margin. The 33-year-old also won the duo's most recent encounter on the grasscourts of Eastbourne last year.
Petra Kvitova vs Donna Vekic odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Petra Kvitova vs Donna Vekic prediction
Petra Kvitova hasn't enjoyed much success at the Sunshine Double, but matching her career-best performance by reaching the quarterfinals at Indian Wells would have given her a lot of confidence heading into Miami.
Barring a few double faults amidst the windy conditions, the southpaw looked very comfortable against Noskova — striking the ball extremely well off the ground. Her pinpoint accuracy on return gave her opponent very little room to breathe.
Playing against Donna Vekic, the Czech will once again need to play with aggression. Vekic, who has enjoyed a career renaissance of sorts in the last few months, enjoys playing on low-bouncing fast courts and does not mind the pace coming at her.
That said, Kvitova's power has proven too much to handle for Vekic in the past. The underdog will need to take a proactive approach and keep Kvitova from settling into a rhythm. Unless she can take the ball early and keep her opponent on the run, she risks being overwhelmed.
Prediction: Kvitova to win in two tight sets
