Marketa Vondrousova vs Alison Van Uytvanck Prediction & Betting Tips - Chicago, USA, Qualifying

Prediction published on 24/08/2021, 10:05  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 24/08/2021 at 11:06 in Tennis Predictions

Marketa Vondrousova is down to 40th in the rankings. The fifth seeded Czech takes on unseeded Alison Van Uytvanck in the second round of the Chicago Open with the winner facing either Jasmine Piola or ninth seeded Alize Cornet. Vondrousova was as high as 20th this year but then ranking points earned a couple of years ago were taken off and she slid down the list. Vondrousova recently won the silver medal at the Olympics. Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina were beaten during that tournament but she lost to Belinda Bencic in the final. Bencic also beat her in the recent Western & Southern Open. This week has seen her defeat Quinn Gleason for the loss of just two games. 

Alison Van Uytvanck began this week ranked 58th in the world but was as low as 68th in March. The Belgian only won two of her first nine matches this year and one of those was over a player ranked outside the top 200. Her form improved when the grass court season arrived with a last eight appearance in Nottingham and winning an ITF tournament played in Nottingham but not beating any top 100 ranked player. Van Uytvanck lost in the first round at Wimbledon but did take Elina Svitolina to three sets. The Belgian got to the third round at the Olympics, beating Petra Kvitova before being knocked out by Garbine Muguruza. Form has slipped again in North America and last week lost to Emma Radcanu in the last 32 in a WTA 125 tournament. This week she's beaten Nao Hibino in straight sets but will find this much tougher. She's had one previous match against Vondrousova, a straight sets win this year in Nottingham. That was on grass though and the tip here is for Vondrousova to get the win.