Victoria Azarenka will take on the Latvian superpower of Jelena Ostapenko in the last 16 of the ongoing Qatar Open. This will be their fifth meeting on the court and the third already this season. Their last two meetings drew attention mainly due to on-court controversies. During their clash at the Brisbane International, the Latvian took out her frustration on the chair umpire, calling her ‘blind’ as she lost the match  6-1, 7-5.

Then at the Australian Open Azarenka was a break point down when she served an ace. Ostapenko signaled to her team that the ball was out and the umpire got the call wrong. With the stage set for a mouth-watering encounter, who will come out on top? Let’s find out!

Victoria Azarenka vs Jelena Ostapenko: Preview

Jelena Ostapenko, 26, is on fire this season, winning 14 out of 16 matches, including titles in Adelaide and Linz. She recently dominated Anhelina Kalinina with a scoreline of 6-0, 6-3, while showcasing her powerful game. That being said, she looks in great form and could be a serious threat to her opponent. Victoria Azarenka, on the other hand, is showing resilience in Doha, coming back to win against Wang Xinyu.

Ostapenko has been the most consistent season on tour. The Latvian has won two WTA titles already this season and she has so far reached at least one final in all of her tournaments played after winning the doubles title in Brisbane and finishing runner-up in that format, alongside Lyudmyla Kichenok, at the Australian Open. But Azarenka has looked in good form of her own so far in Doha and will offer a stiff challenge.

Azarenka’s experience and skill are still impressive despite some tough times in the quarterfinals. The stage is set for an exciting clash between Ostapenko and Azarenka, with Azarenka being the only one to beat Ostapenko this season.

Azarenka vs Ostapenko: Head-to-head

When it comes to the head-to-head statistics between the two players, Victoria Azarenka has been a clear winner among the two. Out of the four matches that have played against each other, Azarenka has managed to grab victories in all four of them maintaining a 100% record.

Also read: Top-Seed Shocker Jelena Ostapenko Gears up to Break American Tennis Fans’ Hearts as She Comes for Coco Gauff with a Confident Underdog Message

Their first encounter came at the 2019 French Open. There Azarenka secured a straight-set win. Then the Belarusian also saw off Ostapenko at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open. Their recent encounter came earlier this year at the Australian Open. Azarenka secured yet another straight-set win with a scoreline of 6-1, 7-5 to make her way into the next round. Ostapenko was also unable to overcome her rival at the Brisbane International earlier this year.

Prediction: Victoria Azarenka could make her way into the next round with a hard-fought win

Both players have been looking in dangerous form at the moment. While Jeļena Ostapenko is in flying form at the moment, Victoria Azarenka has also shown no signs of stopping at the Qatar Open. However, the head-to-head lead that Azarenka has could give her a psychological advantage over her opponent.

However, having lost all four previous meetings, the Latvian player will also be looking to finally get one over Azarenka and grab her first win against her. Ostapenko’s form this season suggests she could overcome Azarenka at the Qatar Open. Who do you think will come out on top?

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