ORDER OF PLAY
CENTRE COURT -- 12:00 noon start
[4] Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) / Demi Schuurs (NED) vs Nadiia Kichenok (UKR) / Monica Niculescu (ROU)
Not before 2:00 pm
Maria Sakkari (GRE) vs Ons Jabeur (TUN)
[4] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs [7] Elise Mertens (BEL)
Not before 6:00 pm
Jennifer Brady (USA) vs [Q] Veronika Kudermetova (RUS)
[Q] Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) vs [3] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
— Elise Mertens (@elise_mertens) October 21, 2020
The next addition to my growing series of player portraits with their custom masks: @Ons_Jabeur choosing to support her favorite Tunisian football club. pic.twitter.com/mAFVBr3xxP
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) October 22, 2020
🤗❤️ @solerespinosa https://t.co/YtC7Swjdjh
— Sara Sorribes (@sara_sorribes) October 22, 2020
MATCH POINTS
The first quarterfinal of the day at the J&T Banka Ostrava Open features a mouthwatering clash between a pair of unseeded but surging players as Maria Sakkari takes on Ons Jabeur for a place in the final four. It’s Sakkari and Jabeur’s first meeting at WTA level, and their second career clash after Jabeur’s 2015 victory at a clay court ITF 75K event.
Read more: Sakakari stops Svitolina to reach Ostrava quarterfinals
In-form Jabeur will be contesting her fifth quarterfinal of the year, after starting the season with a breakthrough run at the Australian Open to become the first Arab woman to reach that stage at a Slam. Her multi-surface success continued despite the tour’s six-month suspension, reaching quarterfinals at Qatar Total Open and picking up where she left off at Top Seed Open in Lexington and Western & Southern Open in New York.
Meanwhile, Sakkari is going for her second Premier semifinal of the season after a strong run at the St. Petersburg Ladies Open - both tournaments are indoor hardcourt events, a new area of success for the rising Greek star.
Head to Head
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US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka and No.7 seed Elise Mertens headline the day’s action with a blockbuster rematch of their US Open quarterfinal clash that sees the Belgian hope to avenge last month’s 6-1, 6-0 rout at the hands of Azarenka.
The pair have met twice more on the doubles court, with Mertens triumphing both times with partner Aryna Sabalenka against Azarenka and Ashleigh Barty - including a straights sets win in last year’s US Open doubles final
Photo gallery: In pictures: The story of Ostrava 2020
Two-time Grand Slam champion Azarenka is riding the wave of a career resurgence, regaining her level in a big way after going 12 months without winning a match. Azarenka tore through the Western & Southern Open draw to win her biggest title since 2016, and backed it up with a run to the US Open final, falling to Naomi Osaka in a three-set thriller.
Mertens has been one of the most consistent players of the year, and it’s only gotten better for the Belgian after the season’s restart: she’s made a final at the Prague Open, semifinals in New York and back-to-back quarterfinals at the US Open and in Rome. In fact, Ostrava marks Mertens’ seventh quarterfinal of the season overall.
Head to Head
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Her doubles partner Sabalenka is also in action in Ostrava, and the No.3 seeded Belarusian will face Sara Sorribes Tormo, a 24-year-old Spanish qualifier who is into her first Premier quarterfinal of her career.
Sabalenka tasted success early in the season as she lifted the Qatar Total Open trophy in February, and is looking for her third semifinal of an up-and-down season after recording an appearance in the final four at Strasbourg.
Qualifier Veronika Kudermetova upset No.2 seed Karolina Pliskova on her way to the quarterfinals, coming back from a set and a break down to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 and hopes to reach her second semifinal of the year after her run in Hobart.
Read more: Kudermetova conquers Pliskova in Ostrava upset
She’ll face a tough challenge against Lexington champion Jennifer Brady, who edged past Daria Kasatkina 7-5, 6-2. American in the midst of a breakthrough season that saw her win maiden WTA title, reach a quarterfinal in Brisbane and a semifinal in Dubai - both from qualifying - and record a career-best Grand Slam run to the US Open semifinals.
