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Tennis action simmered well on the opening day of the 2023 Qatar Open. And with a former finalst and winner — Jelena Ostapenko and Petra Kvitova taking on the likes of Madison Keys and Zhang Shuai in their opening round matches on Tuesday (February 14), fans can only expect more exhilarating action to come their way.
Day 2 of the tournament — which is being hosted in the Qatari capital of Doha — will see first-round action come to a close. Other big names, including the recently-crowned Abu Dhabi champion Belinda Bencic, will also be in action. Here, we take a look at some of the enticing encounters lined up for Tuesday:
Qatar Open: Jelena Ostapenko vs Madison Keys
Two of the biggest ball-strikers on the Tour — Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys — will clash in a marquee first-round encounter. With the quick conditions in Doha well-suited for the duo's power-packed games, fans can expect quite a few winners flowing from both ends of the court.
Jelena Ostapenko, in particular, has had her fair share of success in the Middle East — with a Doha final and a title in Dubai to show for. The Latvian will be keen to move past her disappointing second-round in Abu Dhabi. Her past performances here may just give her the edge needed to pocket this one.
Prediction: Jelena Ostapenko to win in three sets.
Qatar Open: Petra Kvitova vs Zhang Shuai
Speaking of finding success in Doha, two-time former champion Petra Kvitova comes into this year's Qatar Open with more match wins at the venue than any other player.
Irrespective of her form, the Czech has found her best tennis in Doha. Playing against a familiar opponent in the form of Zhang Shuai, she will be looking to draw confidence from her past showings. And though Zhang is playing some great tennis, Kvitova's serve and powerful groundstrokes, combined with her healthy 4-2 lead over her opponent in the head-to-head, makes her favorite.
Prediction: Petra Kvitova to win in two tight sets.
Qatar Open: Maria Sakkari vs Zheng Qinwen
Maria Sakkari turns to the Middle East in hopes of steadying the ship ahead after a rocky start to 2023. The Greek player underperformed at the United Cup and Australian Open, before falling in the semifinals in Linz — where she was the top seed.
Sakkari will need to find her tennis right off the bat at the Qatar Open as she takes on the fast-rising Zheng Qinwen. The Chinese player has taken big strides towards the top in recent months and comes into the contest on a career-high world ranking. She also possesses a big first serve that can prove to be a weapon in the conditions.
Prediction: Zheng to win in three sets.
Qatar Open: Paula Badosa vs Beatriz Haddad Maia
Paula Badosa returns to action at the Qatar Open after missing out on the year's first Slam amid injury concerns. The Spaniard has been handed a tricky first-round opponent in the form of Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Luckily for Badosa, the two have already met once this year in a quarterfinal encounter at Adelaide that saw Badosa edge her opponent in two tight sets. Haddad Maia, however, possesses all the weapons — including an effective lefty serve — to reverse the result. Unless she is fully fit and willing to fight for every point, Badosa may find herself in danger.
Prediction: Haddad Maia to win in three sets.
