Petra Kvitová vs Irina-Camelia Begu Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Doha

Prediction published on 19/02/2022, 17:40  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 20/02/2022 at 13:08 in Tennis Predictions

Petra Kvitova begins the defence of the Qatar Total Open title with a first round match against Irina-Camelia Begu. The defending champion has slipped out of the top 20 (she was 10th this time last year) and like her opponent is unseeded for this tournament. The winner of this match will face Ana Konjuh in the second round. Kvitova didn't play for the last two and a half months of 2021 and made a disappointing return in Adelaide in January, losing to Priscilla Hon. Her opponent was ranked 263rd at the time and is only 258th now. One match was won in Sydney but then she lost to Sorana Cirstea in the Australian Open first round. Her next tournament was the St Petersburg Ladies' Trophy. That saw her lose in the second round to her opponent in this match, winning only four games and none in the second set. A return to form came in Dubai last week with a run to the quarter finals. That included beating top seeded Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets, before losing in three to eventual winner Jelena Ostapenko.

Irina-Camelia Begu is ranked 51st at the time of writing this preview. 2022 began well with a win over Jessica Pegula in Melbourne but the Romanian only made it to the second round of the Australian Open  As mentioned previously, Begu beat Kvitova in St Petersburg. She went on to reach the semi-finals losing in three sets to the top seeded Maria Sakkari. That win over Kvitova was a welcome one for Begu, who had lost her five previous matches to her. Kvitova will be wary of her opponent but with the improvement in form shown last week, she can get the win here.