Qatar Open 2022: Ons Jabeur vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (8) Ons Jabeur vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich

Tournament: Qatar Open

Round: Second round (Round of 32)

Venue: Doha, Qatar

Category: WTA 1000

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt

Prize money: $2,331,698

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Ons Jabeur vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich preview

Ons Jabeur will take on Aliaksandra Sasnovich in an exciting second-round encounter at the 2022 Qatar Open.

Jabuer, the eighth seed, comes into the tournament having picked up a few good wins in Dubai last week. The Tunisian has had her fair share of success in Doha and will look to build on past results.

Sasnovich has posted a string of solid results since last year's BNP Paribas Open.

Sasnovich has made a solid start to the season, having already reached the final at the Melbourne Summer Set, where she lost to Amanda Anisimova. She bounced back from an early exit at the Australian Open with a quarter-final showing in St. Petersburg.

The Belarusian has raced through qualifying and her opening-round match, dropping only nine games in her three encounters so far. Needless to say, she will be feeling confident about her prospects.

Ons Jabeur vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich head-to-head

Ons Jabeur leads Aliaksandra Sasnovich 1-0 in the head-to-head. The Tunisian scored a tight three-set win in their only previous encounter, which came at the 2019 US Open.

Ons Jabeur vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich prediction

Jabeur has had success playing in the Middle East in the past.

Jabeur has had a stop-start sort of a season so far, with a few solid-looking runs coming to an abrupt end due to injury.

Against an in-form Aliaksandra Sasnovich, the Tunisian will need to find a rhythm and consistency that has been largely missing from her game this season. Jabeur did show flashes of her best tennis in wins over Jessica Pegula and Vera Zvonareva in Dubai last week, but the Belarusian will provide a unique set of challenges.

Sasnovich's game, which is characterized by short backswings and flat groundstrokes, is well suited for the quick conditions in Doha. The 27-year-old has been firing winners from all parts of the court and will step out swinging.

Jabeur's versatile game does give her plenty of options to try and disrupt her opponent's rhythm, but given Sasnnovich's growing confidence, an upset might be brewing here.

Prediction: Aliaksandra Sasnovich to win in three sets