Before the Paris Olympic Games, very few would’ve imagined Donna Vekic to achieve a podium finish. Not only did she achieve it but also went on to win the silver medal. The Croatian went down fighting against Qinwen Zheng of China, to finish second at the mega-event. Nonetheless, she would be proud of her achievement and is looking to replicate her good form in the US Open swing. The 28-year-old will be seen in action at the Cincinnati Open this week, with an eye on the US Open.
Vekic is the 16th seed in Cincinnati and will take on the local star, Ashlyn Krueger. An exciting clash is up on the cards, with Vekic up against Krueger and the home fans.
Donna Vekic vs Ashlyn Krueger: Preview
The Croatian star is enjoying the best patch of form lately. Before the Olympic Games, she reached the summit clash of the Bad Homburg Open and the semifinal of the Wimbledon Championships. Subsequently, she went on to win the silver medal at the Paris Olympic Games, her maiden Olympic medal.
Vekic took a break after her amazing Olympics campaign and missed the recently-concluded Canadian Open. Nonetheless, with form on her side, Vekic will look to continue her impressive run during the US Open Swing.
On the contrary, Vekic’s opponent, Krueger, is going through a rough patch. She has had a string of early exits from the tournaments recently and even bowed out of the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships in the opening round. Further, she has entered the main draw of the Cincinnati Open as a qualifier after knocking out Naomi Osaka. Despite that massive victory, she will have her task cut out against an in-form Vekic.
Vekic vs. Krueger: Head-to-head
While Vekic is an established star and has been on the WTA Tour for long, it is still early days in Krueger’s career. As a result, the two are strangers to each other, when it comes to the battles between them. Vekic and Krueger are yet to face off against each other and the Cincinnati Open first-round clash will be their maiden encounter. Despite the uncertainty of the opposition, expect Vekic to dominate the proceedings in their match.
Prediction: Vekic to churn out a straight-set victory
Although Krueger is an exciting talent and one of the promising stars of the future, she is still in the nascent phase of her career. While she is ranked outside the top 50 at the 62nd spot, Vekic is ranked in the 22nd position. Additionally, she has form and experience on her side to prevail over Krueger in their first-round clash in Cincinnati.
One impressive stat that stood out for Vekic in her recent matches is the first serve win percentage. She has consistently won around 80% of her first-serve points, which became crucial to her runners-up feat at the Olympic Games. This will give Vekic a massive edge over Krueger and she is expected to win the match in straight sets. Their clash will take place in Grandstand later today.
The post Cincinnati Open 2024: Donna Vekic vs Ashlyn Krueger; Preview, Head-To-Head, and Prediction appeared first on EssentiallySports.
