Women’s Olympic Tennis Round of 16 – Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka taking place? Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka will take place on Tuesday 27th July, 2021 at (not before) 04:30 (UK)
Where is Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka taking place? Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka will take place at Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo
What surface is Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka played on? Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka will be played on hard courts
Where can I get tickets for Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka? There are no tickets for Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka as Olympic Tennis will take place without spectators.
What TV channel is Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka on in the UK? Olympic coverage is shared between BBC and Eurosport so it is worth checking their schedules for Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka
Where can I stream Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka in the UK? If Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka is televised on BBC then it can be streamed live on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app. If Marketa Vondrousova vs Naomi Osaka is televised on Eurosport then subscribers can stream the match live on Eurosport Player
THE PREDICTION
After a tough opening round against Kiki Bertens, Marketa Vondrousova handily beat Mihaela Buzarnescu on Tuesday to reach the round of 16 in style. The 2019 Roland-Garros runner-up looks to be coming back into form after a cool down period following her first Grand Slam final and the former world number 14 could be worth a watch for the rest of this season. Her time at Tokyo 2020 looks to be over, though, as she faces world number two Naomi Osaka next. 23-year-old Osaka is yet to drop a set after two concise wins over Saisai Zheng and in-form Viktorija Golubic and it looks like the Japanese star will need an elite player to stop her. The lack of a crowd has not affected the three-time Grand Slam champion one iota and in fact could be aiding her a little with the hopes of a nation resting squarely on her shoulders.
This first meeting between Vondrousova and Osaka will be interesting and the Czech is certainly Osaka’s biggest challenge yet this campaign. However, the Australian Open champion should be able to come through this one in two tough sets.
