America’s Ashlyn Krueger is all set to take on the experienced German, Tatjana Maria in the first round (R32) of the Abierto de Guadalajara. Both the players have struggled a bit this season, moreover, they have never played in this tournament before. So, this match will be a real test for both of them. We all know Krueger is quite a formidable opponent on the hard courts, but can she beat the 37-year-old Maria in the enticing encounter at Akron Tennis Stadium?

Ashlyn Krueger vs Tatjana Maria: Preview

Krueger’s best record in this season has been reaching the QF at the WTA 125 Lleida, ES. Apart from that, she hasn’t had any noteworthy performances this season. However, she did manage to surprise quite a few tennis fans with her performance against Mirra Andreeva in the R2 of the US Open. She defeated the teenage tennis sensation by 6-1,6-4. However, Ashlyn Krueger was defeated by Liudmila Samsonova in the R3 by 1-6,1-6.

Tatjana Maria, on the other hand, reached the QF of the Copa Colsanitas in April this year. She also made it to the finals at the ITF Great Britain 07A and WTA 125K Barranquilla, CO. Maria was defeated by Coco Gauff in the R2 of the US Open. However, after getting thrashed by the 2023 US Open champion, she took part in the Abierto Zapopan tournament. Over there, although she yet again managed to reach the finals, Maria was defeated by Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova by 3-6,7-6(5),3-6.

Krueger vs Maria: Head-to-Head

Mighty challenger versus an experienced campaigner! Who’ll win this epic battle? We’ll find out in a bit, but before that let’s take a look at the results from their previous meeting. Both of these tennis stars have met each other once in their careers as of now. Currently, Ashlyn Krueger leads the H2H by a 1-0 margin.

• 2023 Gaiba 125 Final: Krueger 3-6,6-4,7-5.

Prediction: Krueger to win in straight sets

Looking at the surface and current form, the 20-year-old American looks most likely to have an edge in this contest. She’s currently ranked 51 in the women’s singles ranking and has a win-loss record of 12-19. Tatjana Maria, on the other hand, is currently placed at the 82nd spot in the ranking and she has a win-loss record of 14-24. So, even if we look at these numbers, Krueger seems to be the favorite in this match.

Now, if we take a look at their playing style, Maria can bring a lot of variations to her game. She is someone who always loves keeping her Plan B or Plan C ready to put her opponents into some real trouble. Her transition from being a two-handed backhand player to becoming a one-handed backhand specialist is what makes her a bit different from other players. Apart from that, Tatjana Maria has a strong serve in her armory. She has so far hit 123 aces in this season and has committed 103 double faults.

Her opponent, Ashlyn Krueger, also loves hitting big serves and powerful groundstrokes. Although she’s comparatively less experienced in between the two, still she has now managed to learn how to harness her weapons. Krueger has a venomous forehand and her patience to wait for proper openings before counter-attacking her opponent is something really special about this player. Her smooth, long, flat, deep shots can put Maria into some real trouble on this surface. Overall, looking at all these stats, we are keeping the young American ahead of the experienced German in this contest!