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Match Details
Fixture: (5) Jelena Ostapenko vs Kaia Kanepi.
Date: September 27, 2022.
Tournament: Tallinn Open 2022.
Round: First round (Round of 32).
Venue: Tallinn, Estonia.
Category: WTA 250.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $251,750.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Kaia Kanepi preview
2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko will square off against home favorite Kaia Kanepi in the first round of the 2022 Estonia Open.
Ostapenko is having one of the most successful seasons of her career across singles and doubles. She won her fifth career title at the Dubai Tennis Championships and finished as the runner-up at the Eastbourne International. At Wimbledon, she reached the fourth round of a Major for the first time since her semifinal run at the tournament four years ago.
Ostapenko reached a couple of Grand Slam semifinals in doubles, while winning two titles and reaching two more finals as well. At last week's Korea Open, she reached her third final of the year in singles. Up against Ekaterina Alexandrova, the Latvian started off strong before losing a closely contested opening set.
However, Ostapenko was unable to maintain the same intensity and lost the match 7-6(4), 6-0.
Kaia Kanepi started the year with a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open. It was the only Major where she was yet to make the last eight and was finally able to do so this time around. She furthered her reputation as a giant-killer at Grand Slams by knocking out Garbine Muguruza in the first round of the French Open.
A final at the Citi Open has been another highlight of Kanepi's year so far. She lost to Liudmila Samsonova in three sets. At the US Open, she was on track for yet another upset win, but Aryna Sabalenka managed to stage an escape act. The Belarusian fought back from 6-2, 5-1 down to defeat Kanepi in three sets.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Kaia Kanepi head-to-head
Ostapenko leads Kanepi 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2018 Eastbourne International in straight sets.
Jelena Ostapenko vs Kaia Kanepi odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Jelena Ostapenko vs Kaia Kanepi prediction
This is set to be a contest between two of the biggest hitters on the tour. Both are known for their powerful groundstrokes and aggressive brand of tennis. The points are likely to be short, with the occasional long rally. The serve could be a key differentiating factor in this contest.
Kanepi is a better server compared to the Latvian. Ostapenko paid the price for her inconsistent serve during the Korea Open final. She won 56% and 31% of her first and second serve points respectively during that match, and those numbers simply don't cut it.
Ostapenko might also be fatigued after making the long trip from South Korea to Estonia, which could affect her performance. Kanepi is much fresher and will be eager to put on a good show in front of her home crowd. The odds are stacked in the veteran's favor and she'll be eager for yet another high-profile scalp.
Pick: Kaia Kanepi to win in straight sets.
