Ashleigh Barty vs Petra Kvitova: Mutua Madrid Open: Prediction | Preview | H2H Analysis

It's another intriguing battle in the Mutua Madrid Open as the top seed Ashleigh Barty locks horns against the ninth-seeded Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinals. 

Ashleigh Barty vs Petra Kvitova: Madrid Open Preview

Trailing 0-3 in the first set after a sluggish start, Ashleigh Barty won 7 out of the next 9 games against Iga Swiatek to grab the first set 7-5. A solitary break of serve was enough for the Australian in the second set as she clinched it 6-4 to book a spot in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open. 

Overall, Ashleigh Barty smashed 6 aces, claimed 80.5% of points on her first serve and also saved 6 out of 7 breakpoints. 

On the other hand, Petra Kvitova edged past the giant-killing Veronika Kudermetova in a tight three-setter Round of 16 Madrid Open match. 

In a titanic tussle of brutal rallies from the baseline, Kvitova led 6-3 and Kudermetova bounced back to take the second set 6-4. 

The Czech took full advantage of one break of serve in the decider winning it 6-4 to storm into the quarters after more than 2 hours on the court. Kvitova fired 7 aces, clinched 81.13% of points on her first serve, and also saved 3 out of 4 breakpoints against Veronika. 

Ashleigh Barty vs Petra Kvitova: Head to Head Record

• Kvitova leads the head-to-head record 5-4 against Barty. 
• However, the world number 1 has won 4 out of her last five matches against the Czech. 
• They have played once on clay before when Kvitova thrashed Barty 6-1 6-2 in the first round of the French Open in 2012.

"I love to play Petra, she brings out the best in me, it is another challenge, another test, she has won this tournament multiple times, loves the conditions here, a fresh challenge for me, we go into it like any other match, try and execute as best we can, whoever does that better on the day will come out on top," reflected Barty praising Kvitova's game and eager to put her best foot forward ahead of the challenging clash in the Madrid Open.

A.Barty vs Kvitova: Madrid Open Game Analysis

The World number 1 is unstoppable at the moment with 14 wins in a row on the red dirt. She must improve her slow starts to matches which sees her mostly lose the first set. 

The Australian can struggle a bit in windy conditions under the open roof. Her clever backhand slices and deep returns are a key strength in controlling the long and tiring rallies. 

Ashleigh Barty has also won 9 matches consecutively against top-20 ranked players in the 2021 season so far. She has the most victories (23) on the WTA Tour this year.

Kvitova is well experienced with the conditions at the Madrid Open. The Czech is playing her sixth quarterfinal in the WTA-1000 tournament and last won the title in 2018 after defeating Kiki Bertens in three sets. Petra Kvitova has also won the tournament 2 times (2011 and 2015).

The Czech must commit minimum unforced errors on her forehand to have a great chance of winning against the World number 1. The southpaw will rely on her strong backhand return to create clever angles. 

Ashleigh Barty has had an upper edge in the recent encounters against Kvitova and she will surely possess the psychological advantage. Her last loss on clay was before the French Open 2019 indicating her total dominance of the surface. 

Kvitova will have to utilize her clean ball-striking skills to grab more points against Ashleigh Barty in the Madrid Open Q-F. The Australian's variety of shots and impressive comebacks in pressure situations gives her a narrow edge against the former champion, Kvitova. 

Prediction - Ashleigh Barty to win in three sets against Petra Kvitova in the Quarter-Final tie of the Madrid Open 2021.

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