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Match details
Fixture: (7) Jelena Ostapenko vs (6) Xinyu Wang.
Date: 8 February, 2022.
Tournament: St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy.
Round: First round (Round of 32).
Venue: St. Petersburg, Russia.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Indoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $703,580.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Xinyu Wang preview
Seventh seed Jelena Ostapenko will square off against China's Xinyu Wang in the first round of the 2022 St. Petersburg Ladies Open on Tuesday.
Ostapenko's start to the season hasn't been the best, considering how well she played towards the end of 2021. She reached the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open and won the doubles title at the Kremlin Cup in October last year.
In her first tournament of 2022, the former Roland Garros champion lost in the opening round to Paula Badosa at the Sydney Tennis Classic. This was followed by a third-round exit at the hands of Barbora Krejcikova at the Australian Open. However, both of her losses have come against top 10 players, who've been playing well and have momentum on their sides.
Ostapenko now arrives in Russia hoping to turn her season around.
Meanwhile, Wang Xinyu won the maiden Grand Slam match of her career at the Australian Open this year when she defeated Ann Li in the first round. She followed that up by putting up a tough fight against World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka but eventually lost in three sets.
Nevertheless, the 20-year-old's efforts have seen her reach a new career-high in the rankings, peaking at number 86 so far.
The Chinese youngster has been touted as a promising prospect. She already has two doubles titles to her name and will be eager to replicate the same results in singles events as well.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Xinyu Wang head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between the duo, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Xinyu Wang prediction
Given her ranking and experience, Ostapenko will certainly be the favorite to win this match. But she isn't playing at her best right now, so Xinyu Wang certainly has an opportunity to secure a victory here.
The Chinese youngster's previous match was against Sabalenka, who plays a similar brand of aggressive tennis. This will help her as she now knows what to expect against the former Roland Garros champion. If she's learned her lesson from her loss to the World No. 2, she can accomplish here what she couldn't at the Australian Open.
As is often the case in Ostapenko's matches, a lot will rest on her racquet. If she plays with little caution, her high-risk gameplay yields rich dividends. But if she pulls the trigger too soon to end the point with a winner during every rally, it could be curtains for her campaign in Russia.
It could be a close contest, but expect the Latvian's firepower to see her through to the next round.
Prediction: Jelena Ostapenko to win in three sets.
