Sabalenka vs Kvitova Odds & Pick: Qatar Open Finals
By Robert Duff in Tennis
Updated: April 8, 2020 at 3:38 pm EDTPublished:
- Oddsmakers are listing Petra Kvitova as the slight -115 favorite over Aryna Sabalenka (-105) in Saturday’s final of the WTA Qatar Open
- Can 2018 champion Kvitova become just the fourth two-time winner of this event?
- Read on to find all of the odds, picks and predictions for this match
There’s little separating Petra Kvitova and Aryna Sabalenka in the WTA world rankings. Oddsmakers feel the same way about their chances of winning the Qatar Open on Saturday. February 29, 2020.
The sportsbook is favoring world #11 Kvitova in this match but only slightly. The two-time Wimbledon champion from the Czech Republic is listed at odds of -115.
World #13 Sabalenka isn’t far behind. Oddsmakers put the Belarussian at odds of -105 to win the tournament.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Petra Kvitova Qatar Open Final Odds
| Player | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aryna Sabalenka | -105 | +1 (-116) | Over 21.5 (-115) |
| Petra Kvitova | -115 | -1 (-104) | Under 21.5 (-105) |
Odds taken Feb. 28
The match is slated to take place Saturday at 10:15 am EST.
Kvitova Betters Barty
Kvitova ousted world #1 Ashleigh Barty 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the semifinals. She snapped a four-match losing streak against Barty. That stretch of failure including a setback earlier this year in the Australian Open quarterfinals.
Playing at or near the baseline for much of the match, the heavy-hitting Kvitova was able to neutralize Barty’s shot-making edge. It’s her sixth career triumph over a player ranked #1 in the world. That’s tied for fourth-best among active players.
Kvitova will play in her 37th WTA career final. But it’s her first final appearance since last April in Stuttgart.
The Czech player is seeded eighth in the tournament. She’ll play in the final for the second time in three years. In 2018, Kvitova downed Garbine Muguruza 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to win the title.
Kvitova has won nine straight matches in Qatar. She hasn’t tasted defeat in this tournament since a 7-5, 2-6, 1-6 third-round loss to Jelena Ostapenko in 2016.
Sabalenka Settling In
Sabalenka, 21, was solid in posting a workmanlike 6-4, 6-3 straight-set semifinal victory over Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova. The match took just one hour, 17 minutes to complete. She’d been forced to three sets in two of her previous three matches in this tournament.
The oddsmaker pegged Sabalenka as the +1000 second betting choice behind Barty in the opening line for this tournament. She’s lived up to that billing. The #9 seed took out 15th-seeded Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-0 in the Round of 16.
This is Sabalenka’s debut in Doha. The 32-year-old Kuznetsova is a Qatar Open veteran. She was a finalist in this event in both 2004 and 2007. Kuznetsova shares the tournament match-winning record of 19 with Caroline Wozniacki. But she was no match for Sabalenka.
Sabalenka broke the two-time Grand Slam winner’s service four times during the match. After a slow start to the season, the Belarussian has won seven of her last eight matches.
Four for Two
If three’s a crowd, what does four create? Kvitova could accurately pose that question if she disposes of Sabalenka and wins the Qatar Open title on Saturday.
The Czech player would join Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Anastasia Myskina as two-time winners of this event.
Qatar Loves Kvitova
At the start of the tournament, Kvitova to win was offered at +1400, the co-fourth betting choice. That’s a sweet price for someone with her history in this event.
This will be the 38th career WTA final for the Czech player. She’ll be seeking her 29th win. A loss to Belinda Bencic in last year’s Dubai Duty Free final ended a string of eight straight final victories for Kvitova. Still, her .757 (28-9) winning percentage in tournament finals is among the best in women’s tennis.
Kvitova vs Sabalenka Stats
| 11 | World Ranking | 13 |
| 1 | Qatar Open Titles | 0 |
| 27 | ATP Titles | 5 |
| 2-1 | Head-to-Head | 1-2 |
| 12-2 | 2020 Record | 11-5 |
| 75.2 | Service Games Won | 74.1 |
| 44.8 | Return Games Won | 36.4 |
She’s faced an array of stylish shotmakers in this tournament. That prep should bode well for Kvitova as she preps for Sabalenka. When she’s on her game, the latter is known for her combination of power and precision.
After her loss to Kvitova, Barty insisted that during the match, she’d executed the shots she wanted to make and hit the spots on the court where she sought for the ball to fall. Kvitova was simply the better player on the day.
That’s high praise from the world #1. It’s also why you should back Kvitova to win this match in three sets.
Pick: Petra Kvitova (-115)
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
