Jelena Ostapenko’s career can be divided into two halves. Back in 2017, she won her maiden Grand Slam title, defeating Simona Halep in the summit clash. But her career has suffered a downfall ever since and has had just a solitary semifinal appearance at majors after her first Grand Slam title. At 27, she still has the fuel left to show glimpses of her best form and would look to change her fortunes this year, starting with the Australian Open.

However, Ostapenko is set to open her campaign against a seasoned player in the form of Belinda Bencic. With Bencic having won an Olympic gold medal, she knows how to raise her game in big matches and it would be a cracker of a contest between the two.

Jelena Ostapenko vs Belinda Bencic: Preview

Although Ostapenko had a barren run at Grand Slam events last year and didn’t make it beyond the quarterfinal, she managed to win a couple of titles in Linz and Adelaide apart from a decent run in other tournaments. As a result, she managed to finish the year in the top 10 of the WTA rankings. However, Ostapenko hasn’t had the best record on hard courts in her career and is predominantly a clay-court player. Last year, she bowed out of the Australian Open in the third round after losing against the former World Number 1, Victoria Azarenka. Thus, she would be looking for redemption and a change of fortunes when she steps onto the courts in Melbourne tomorrow.

On the other hand, Belina Bencic is coming back from maternity leave after having welcomed her first child, daughter Bella, in April last year. After being away from the court for more than a year, Bencic made a comeback to the ITF circuit in October last year. Soon after her return to the court, the Swiss showed glimpses of her best form and made it to the final of the WTA 125 tournament in Angers, France, after putting on some gritty performances.

Further, she even reached the pre-quarterfinals of the Adelaide International in the lead-up to the Australian Open, defeating players like Anna Kalinskaya and Laura Siegemund. Ostapenko would have to be wary of Bencic’s challenge when the two face each other tomorrow at the Australian Open.

Ostapenko vs Bencic: Head-to-head

Before her maternity leave, Bencic was among the top players on the WTA Tour. She has faced Ostapenko a couple of times and their head-to-head record stands even, with both players winning a match each. Interestingly, their latest meeting was at the Australian Open itself in 2020, a match that the Swiss star won in straight sets by 7-5, 7-5. However, their first meeting was way back in 2018 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, which Ostapenko won in three sets. Given their neck and neck record against each other, it promises to be a close battle between the two tomorrow.

Prediction: Ostapenko to overcome Bencic’s challenge

Having been away from tennis for more than a year due to her maternity leave, Bencic has dropped down the rankings. She is currently ranked 294 in the WTA rankings whereas Ostapenko is placed on the eighth spot. While Bencic spent most of the last season on the sidelines, Ostapenko had a consistent season and even won two singles titles. She enters the Australian Open better prepared than Bencic, which could be a crucial factor in this match.

Another interesting aspect of Ostapenko’s game is her domination on her first serves. During her first-round win over Magdalena Frech at the recently concluded Adelaide International, she won a whopping 77.3% of her first-serve points. Ostapenko is expected to curb Bencic’s challenge and win her match against her in straight sets. Their match is scheduled for tomorrow at 1573 Arena.