We are down to the last 16 women at the WTA Masters 1000 tournament in Miami. To make it to the quarterfinals, fifth seed Elina Svitolina will go through ninth seed Petra Kvitova next. Clearly, you will need to get a big bowl of popcorns for this one.

Moreover, victory in R16 would mean double reward as second seed Simona Halep has withdrawn from their side of the draw. But considering their on-off performances this season, it will be interesting to see who gets to go ahead from here.

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Elina Svitolina v Petra Kvitova: Preview

Elina Svitolina, 26, is playing her sixth tournament of the year in Miami. Her best results in 2021 have been three quarterfinals in Abu Dhabi Open, Melbourne, and Qatar Open.

After beating Shelby Rogers in the second round, the Ukrainian defeated 30th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets. However, to reach her fourth quarterfinal of the year, she will need to overcome a two-time Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova.

Nonetheless, the 31-year-old Czech professional would not offer a cakewalk. Additionally, she won a WTA title in Doha after two years and is looking forward to building on that. But consistency has not been a good friend of hers in 2021.

Kvitova defeated Greet Minnen and Sorana Cirstea to reach the Last 16. A win here will mean a great deal to both of them considering the draw.

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Svitolina v Kvitova: Head-to-Head

This will mark their 11 meet in their career. Out of their 10 matches, Kvitova leads the head-to-head 7-3.

Interestingly, Elina has won the first and recent two encounters against the Czech professional. They last met in the Bett1 Aces1 final, where the Ukrainian won 3-6, 6-1, 10-5. So, who is more favorable to win the match? Let us check it out.

Svitolina v Kvitova: Prediction

Both carry an aggressive all-round court playing style. The only difference between them is their fitness level and the desire to win. Thus, it will be substantial for them to take control of the match.

Kvitova would put her experience earned over the years to good use. Her concerning issue is her speed around the baseline.

On the other side, Svitolina would be preparing a strategy to break her opponent early on. Moreover, the first service percentage will decide the fate of the match.

While there is no easy way to separate them on paper, the Ukrainian is looking slightly better in Miami. If not careful, Kvitova will not realize when Elina runs away with the match. Who do you think will win between the two?

Prediction: Elina def. Kvitova in straight sets.

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