Charleston Open 2023: Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Yulia Putintseva Prediction, Odds & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Charleston Open second-round match featuring Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Yulia Putintseva on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.

Alexandrova vs Putintseva Match Preview

Last year’s semifinalist Ekaterina Alexandrova will look to get her clay-court campaign off to a winning start. But the fiery Yulia Putintseva is never an easy fixture on the dirt. Who will prevail and advance into the quarterfinal at the 2023 Charleston Open?

Ekaterina Alexandrova played some great tennis at the Charleston Open last season, notching wins over Karolina Pliskova and Magda Linette before losing in the semifinal to eventual champion Belinda Bencic. She will be hoping for more of the same on Wednesday when she battles Yulia Putintseva. The Russian will fancy her chances after putting together a great run to the last eight in Miami and only losing to eventual tournament winner Petra Kvitova.

Yulia Putintseva, meanwhile, has struggled for form in 2023. After beating Elina Svitolina in three sets on Monday, Putintseva is now 8-9 for the season. While the result over the Ukranian was a welcome one, her performance is sure to leave Alexandrova licking her lips. Putintseva was getting overrun by Svitolina who hadn’t even played in a year. Unless the Kazakh flips the script and there is a massive drop in performance levels by Alexandrova, this could be another early exit in waiting.

Alexandrova vs Putintseva Prediction and Pick

Ekaterina Alexandrova and Yulia Putintseva have not played each other on the WTA Tour. This second-round match at the Charleston Open will be their first collision. As I said, Putintseva is yet to hit the levels expected of her this season. And her struggles on serve in putting away Elina Svitolina were evident throughout the match. Alexandrova is not the kind of player you want to gift chances on serve, because she is unlikely to get broken frequently. This will be a tough afternoon for the Kazakh and I expect Alexandrova to maintain her recent upturn in form.