Abu Dhabi Open: Kasatkina vs Teichmann Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Abu Dhabi Open as Daria Kasatkina takes on Jil Teichmann in the second round on Thursday, February 9, 2023.

The top seed Daria Kasatkina will be playing for the first time since her shock exit to Varvara Gracheva in the Australian Open. But it is a daunting challenge that awaits the Russian as she is set to meet Swiss southpaw Jil Teichmann. Who will prevail and reach the Abu Dhabi Open quarterfinal?

Daria Kasaktina is 2-3 at the start of the 2023 season, and remarkably, she still managed to reach one final. Kasatkina won two matches in Adelaide last month, beating Grand Slam winners Krejcikova and Kvitova, and benefitted from a walkover in the semifinal when Paula Badosa pulled out. But things went awry for the Russian who was humbled by Belinda Bencic in the championship match, collecting just two games. And almost in a carbon copy of that match, Kasatkina lost in the first round of the Australian Open to Varvara Gracheva, 6-1 6-1.

Jil Teichmann, for her part, has not struggled for wins like Kasatkina. The Swiss southpaw earned her spot in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Open with a comfortable win over Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska. Teichman was unfazed by the qualifier’s power as she utilized her court craft to win 6-3 7-6.

Daria Kasatkina leads Jil Teichmann 2-0 in their head-to-head. Both matches were contested on clay which Kasatkina regards her forte. The Russian exhibited her talent throughout 2022 as she regained her place in the world’s Top 10. But I expect a dogged resistance by Teichmann here. She is as versatile as the Russian and is a decent counterpuncher. Kasatkina has to go for the offensive route right from the off, but will she find one after two brutal losses? This might not be as straightforward as it looks on paper.