Jelena Ostapenko vs Emma Raducanu Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Stuttgart Open

Prediction published on 17/04/2023, 08:02  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 17/04/2023 at 09:06 in Tennis Predictions

Emma Raducanu makes her seasonal debut on clay in this indoor Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. The British player has another tough draw and takes on world number 22 Jelena Ostapenko in round one. It won't get any easier with the winner up against third seeded Ons Jabeur in the second round. Raducanu starts this tournament ranked 68th in the world but will drop even lower if not having a good run in Munich. Last year saw Raducanu reach the quarter finals so she has those points to defend. That explains why in the live rankings, the 20-year-old is down to 83rd. Two lowly ranked players were beaten here last year and Raducanu didn't make much impact in the other clay court tournaments she played in last year. There have been some signs of improved form from Raducanu and it's a while before the Brit retired from a match. That wasn't the case in the only previous meeting between the pair with Ostapenko winning in Seoul last year when Raducanu retired in the final set.

Jelena Ostapenko won the French Open back in 2017 so knows her way around a clay court. That remains her only WTA title on this surface but the Latvian has reached two quarter finals in Rome. This year has seen Ostapenko reach the last eight of the Australian Open and has consistently reached the last 16 in tournaments. There have been some tough draws along the way with losses to Kvitova, Pegula, Sabalenka and Rybakina. Ostapenko has the edge on her opponent with the match being played on clay and can get the win here.