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The audiences at the Centre Court of the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex will be in for a treat on Wednesday when Petra Kvitova and Jelena Ostapenko step out on the court for their third-round clash at the Qatar Ladies Open 2020.
Two of the biggest hitters of the sport, Kvitova and Ostapenko have entertained hundreds of people with their sublime shot-making and it should be no different this time around.
The eighth seed from the Czech Republic, Kvitova, has had a modest start to 2020 but is still trying to find her range. She will be looking to get her season underway with a title in Qatar. She does, however, have a very difficult opponent in the form of Ostapenko. The Latvian was set to be a regular feature at the top following her breakout run to the Roland Garros title a few years ago, but she has failed to live up to expectations ever since.
A lack of consistency has been a major hurdle for Ostapenko, as she continues to struggle to string together two good tournaments. Things began to look promising for her in the back half of the 2019 season, but in 2020, her performances became erratic again.
A few good matches in Qatar will give her some confidence coming into this third-round encounter but she will have to keep a tab on her groundstrokes if she wants to stand a chance here.
Also Checkout: 2020 Qatar Open Schedule
The two women have met six times on tour, with the head to head tied at three wins each. They haven't met since 2018 and it will be interesting to see if either of them has any trouble adjusting to the other's pacey shots.
It is no secret that both Kvitova and Ostapenko like to be the aggressors in a match. They will certainly look to have the upper hand in rallies as they have done in a majority of their matches.
When the two women are on song, there's no beating them. However, there are also times when they make unnecessary errors. What kind of form both Kvitova and Ostapenko are in will determine the winner for this one.
Prediction: Kvitova to win three sets
