Marketa Vondrousova is all set to lock horns with Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya in the R16 of the 2024 ecotrans Ladies Open in Berlin. The 24-year-old Czech tennis star is a completely different player when it comes to grass courts. She has already proved her mettle by winning the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. Now, she will look forward to continuing her eight-match winning streak on this surface and gaining momentum ahead of this year’s mega event in London. Will the 25-year-old Russian tennis star give her a free run here in Berlin?

To outclass the reigning Wimbledon champion on grass courts is surely a tough ask, but Kalinskaya has already showcased her potential this year. She reached the QF of the Australian Open earlier this season and has also made it to the finals in the Dubai Tennis Championships. She might well come up with another surprise in Berlin!

Marketa Vondrousova vs Anna Kalinskaya: Preview

Marketa Vondrousova has had quite a decent season so far this year. She has reached one SF and three QFs this season. In her previous match, she defeated Spain’s Rebeka Masarova 6-4, 6-3. In her R32 triumph in Berlin, Vondrousova hit six aces and committed four double faults. She won 74% of her first serve and 67% of her second serve. However, she could only convert four out of her seven breakpoints against the Spaniard.

Looking at her numbers this season, Marketa Vondrousova has hit a total of 69 aces this season and has committed 113 double faults. She has won 64% of her service games and just around 43% of her return games. How are her numbers compared to her Russian opponent?

Anna Kalinskaya will enter this match after her hard-fought victory against Japan’s Nao Hibino in the R32 of this tournament. She came back from a set down to defeat the Japanese player 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. Kalinskaya hit only one ace in the entire match and committed four double faults. She won 64% of her first serve and 68% of her second serve in that match. Anna Kalinskaya converted four of her seven breakpoints against Hibino.

She has hit 49 aces so far this season but has recorded committing around 92 double faults as well. Kalinskaya has won 73% of her service games and 36.1% of her return games. Have these players met each other earlier on the Tour?

Vondrousova vs Kalinskaya: Head-to-Head

The round of of 16 opponents will play their first clash in Berlin. However, Marketa Vondrousova reached the QF here in 2023, while Anna Kalinskaya has never progressed past the second round in Berlin. Although the Czech seems to have an edge looking at all these stats, Kalinskaya can prove to be a tough nut to crack in this epic contest.

Prediction: Vondrousova to win in three sets

Marketa Vondrousova has become a force to reckon with on this surface. Her crafty style of play which includes a wide variety of shots may prove to be a handy weapon against Anna Kalinskaya. She is often seen engaging herself in long and strategic rallies, making full use of her left-handed topspin forehand to unsettle her opponents. However, her return games are comparatively better than her service games.

On the other hand, Anna Kalinskaya will be looking forward to banking on her dangerous forehand and her solid backhand to counter the world number 6. She is also a good reader of the game and can mix up her shots pretty well. However, if we look at their current form, Vondrousova has a win-loss record of 16-10 compared to 21-11 of Kalinskaya. Outclassing Marketa Vondrousova may prove to be a bit tough ask for the Russian, but Kalinskaya is more than capable of coming up with a strong challenge!