Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova is all set to take on the 38-year-old Uzbekistani-born American tennis player, Varvara Lepchenko, in the R32 of the Korea Open. Alexandrova has made several deep runs in her previous tournaments this year, but she failed to deliver when it mattered most. The 29-year-old Russian tennis star won this tournament in 2022, but Lepchenko has never competed here before. Will this give Alexandrova an added advantage?

Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Varvara Lepchenko: Preview

Alexandrova’s best performance this season has been reaching the final of the Linz Open. Apart from that, she has also made four SF runs, including one at Miami. She’ll be entering this tournament after a hard-fought defeat at the hands of Aryna Sabalenka in the R3 of the US Open. Sabalenka defeated her 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 in that match, but winning a set against the eventual champion shows her potential to deliver against tougher opponents.

Varvara Lepchenko, on the other hand, has made quite a few long runs in ITF events this year. However, she hasn’t had any noteworthy performances on the main Tour this year. In the US Open, she was eliminated in the R2 by another Russian, Anastasia Potapova. Lepchenko has already won two of her previous matches in Seoul. She defeated Serbia’s Natalija Stevanovic in the second qualifiers 6-2, 6-3. Now, it’ll be interesting to see if she can hold on to this winning momentum with a victory against Alexandrova.

Alexandrova vs Lepchenko: Head-to-Head

Well, Ekaterina Alexandrova hasn’t yet faced Varvara Lepchenko in her career. So, their H2H is currently 0-0. However, given their vast experience on the Tour, this match between right-handed Alexandrova and left-handed Lepchenko has the potential to create a few nervy moments throughout.

Prediction: Alexandrova to win in straight sets

We expect Varvara Lepchenko to put up a fight, but can she win a set against Ekaterina Alexandrova? It seems unlikely at the moment. Alexandrova is currently ranked 31 in the world, while Lepchenko is placed at 159th in the women’s singles rankings. Looking at their records on the main Tour, the Russian has a win-loss record of 22-21, while Lepchenko has a win-loss record of just 2-2.

Considering all these factors, Alexandrova seems to be the favorite in this match. However, if we look at their playing styles, Varvara Lepchenko is more of a counter-puncher. She has a tricky left-handed serve that has the potential to unsettle her opponents who have a more offensive style of play. So, Alexandrova needs to be a bit watchful of this opponent.

Ekaterina Alexandrova has an aggressive style of play, characterized by powerful serves and equally lethal groundstrokes. She has a unique ability to generate powerful groundstrokes off both wings. Talking about her serves, she has hit 239 aces and committed 218 double faults this season so far. Lepchenko needs to be wary of Alexandrova’s powerful shots from the baseline. A slight lapse here and there could wrap up the match quickly. We expect Alexandrova to deliver a dominating performance in this match.