China's Qinwen Zheng will face Marta Kostyuk at the 2024 WTA Stuttgart tennis tournament soon. This will be a second-round match in the draw for the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. Zheng is priced at -250 (bet365) on the moneyline to win the match. That makes her a moderate favorite despite some spotty results since making the Australian Open final. This is an interesting match to look at to see if the underdog has been undervalued in the contest. However, in the final analysis, my Zheng vs Kostyuk prediction is that the former player will win this match in straight sets.
Schedule of Play: Right-click/Open in the New Tab to check match times: subject to change
Qinwen Zheng vs Marta Kostyuk Head-to-Head Series
These two players have faced one another just one time in the past. The Zheng vs Kostyuk h2h is 1-0 in favor of Zheng. Their match was played last season in Montreal, a contest that Zheng won in three sets 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Kostyuk outscored Zheng on points 83-79 on a day when each player had their share of double faults.
Zheng enters this match as the World No. 7 while Kostyuk is the World No. 27. For year-to-date achievements, Zheng is the 6th-best player mainly because of her runner-up finish at the Australian Open. It may surprise some but Kostyuk is not far behind. She is the No. 10 player so far this season on year-to-date results.
The Draw: Right-click/Open the link in a new tab for the draw for the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Qinwen Zheng's Recent Matches and Results
Zheng opened her clay-court season with a straight-sets win over Sorana Cirstea. The line score was 6-2, 6-3, which is a strong result for those looking to back Zheng in this upcoming match.
She made a good move when she played two matches on clay at the exhibition Billie Jean King Tennis Cup just over a week ago. While she faced relative unknowns, the exhibition matches surely helped her find her range on clay. In a match from April 9th, Zheng posted a double-bagel at 6-0, 6-0. The player Zheng beat was Ankita Raina, who is ranked just 254th in the world right now. But in consideration of the win over Cirstea, it seems Zheng is playing at a decent level.
That said, China's top player has not made major headlines since making the Australian Open final in January. March was a particular disappointment as she went just 1-2 in Indian Wells and Miami. Last season, she did win a title on clay in Italy, winning the 250-level event in Palermo through Jasmine Paolini in the final. Zheng also won a few matches at the Rome Masters last year. But it's likely the good line scores against Cirstea and in the Billie Jean King Tennis Cup that have factored into making Zheng a strong favorite in her upcoming match at -250 (bet365).
Marta Kostyuk's Recent Matches and Results
Kostyuk won her opening match in Stuttgart against Laura Siegemund. This was a competitive three-set match that went 6-4 in the final set in Kostyuk's favor. Kostyuk had 0 aces and 15 double faults in the match. That largely makes her unbackable against Zheng. Players that serve that poorly might win a first-round match but the deeper rounds have players with more substance.
About a month ago, Kostyuk was in the Indian Wells semifinals. She also made the San Diego final and the Australian Open quarters. These are the main results for her so far in 2024.
In 2023, Kostyuk's clay-court results were not impressive. She only entered three events and she won just one match. Her losses included a loss to two talented players. However, Kostyuk also fell to a player ranked 115th in Madrid last season.
Zheng vs Kostyuk Prediction: Zheng 2-0
The pick in this match is for Zheng in straight sets at -110 (bet365). I don't like Kostyuk's win in the last round. She only advanced due to the leniency of her opponent. Also, the Ukrainian's results in 2023 were weak on clay. Bettors will have to get on board with Zheng's momentum in her last few matches from Stuttgart and the Billie Jean King Tennis Cup, where Zheng has gone 6-0 in sets played.
Kostyuk vs Zheng prediction: Draw at the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
The winner of this match will face Coco Gauff. Gauff, the three-seed in Stuttgart, won her second-round match already. Gauff vs Zheng has the potential to be an entertaining match.
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