In a battle between two players ranked in the 30s, Wang Qiang faces Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round of the 2021 WTA Dubai on Sunday, March 7. The match is yet to be scheduled. Get the live streaming options of this Wang Qiang v Svetlana Kuznetsova match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Wang Qiang v Svetlana Kuznetsova Head to Head
There have been four previous matches played between these two players with Kuznetsova having won three of them. On clay, it’s 2-0 for the Russian while Qiang’s only win over Kuznetsova came on the hard court surfaces of Guangzhou in 2018, winning 6-2, 6-2 in what was their last meeting.
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Qiang in Dire Form
For a player who, not too long ago was ranked 12th in the world and basking in the glory of having sent Serena Williams out of a Grand Slam tournament, the 35th-ranked Qiang has fallen off the cliff a little bit in recent times. And that poor form has continued to haunt her in 2021 as well.
Starting out the season with three back to back defeats including a first round loss at the Australian Open to Sara Errani, Qiang finally managed her first match win at the Phillip Island Trophy when she defeat Maddison Inglis in her opener.
She then fell to Irina Camelia Begu in the next match there, won another opening round match at the Adelaide International before losing to Jil Teichmann.
And then playing at the WTA Doha last week, Qiang lost to the in-form Jessica Pegula in the very first round rather easily, to leave her with a 2-6 win-loss record this season. She now faces a doughty and experienced customer in her opener here and will look to get some confidence under her belt.
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Kuznetsova’s Barely Won in 12 Months
Around 12 months ago, Kuznetsova had made it to the semifinal of the WTA Doha where she went down fighting to Aryna Sabalenka. Since then, however, things have taken a turn for the worse for the Russian, former Grand Slam winner.
A third round appearance at the Italian Open was her best showing last season, with an opening loss in Istanbul and Paris on either side of that, and Kuznetsova hasn’t done any better this season either.
It began with an opening loss at the Grampians Trophy which featured players who had to undergo the extra hard quarantine in Melbourne. While she won her opening round match at the Australian Open rather easily against Barbora Strycova, that was followed by back to back defeats, arguably to Belinda Bencic and Victoria Azarenka.
Can she bring her experience to the table, shrug off her rustiness and get going here?
Qiang v Kuznetsova Prediction and Tip
The problem both these players seem to be facing is the lack of tennis over the past 12 months and that seems to have hindered their game. Qiang has the advantage of having been on court for longer than her opponent this season but that’s a minor one to carry and Kuznetsova still starts off a bit of a favourite.
Tip: Qiang Wang to win a set – Yes: 8/15 (bet365)
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The 2021 WTA Dubai Open will be played from March 8 to 14. You can watch & bet on these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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