Aoi Ito vs Tereza Valentova

WTA Prague 1st Round Preview: Aoi Ito vs Tereza Valentova

🧠 Form & Context

Aoi Ito
🔄 Inconsistent year: Ito is 19–17 in 2025 and just 2–6 in WTA main draws. Her best results have come on the ITF circuit, where she reached the final in Corroios-Seixal this month.
🇯🇵 Hard-court grinder: 19 of her 2025 wins have come on hard courts—her natural surface—and she tends to outlast less experienced players with clean, defensive tennis.
📉 Big-match struggles: She’s 1–9 against top-120 players in 2025, with most of her wins coming against lower-ranked or fatigued opponents.
📍 Prague debut: Competing in the main draw of the Prague Open for the first time.

Tereza Valentova
🚀 Teenage sensation: The 18-year-old Czech is having a breakout season with a 37–8 record, including a dominant 9-match winning streak entering Prague.
🏆 Local momentum: Won the W60 Porto title last week, and has been unbeaten on hard courts in 2025 (5–0).
🧱 Versatile game: Despite her age, she’s posted strong numbers on all surfaces, backed by clean ball-striking, smart court awareness, and a very mature mentality.
🔥 Form player: Took a set off Gauff at Roland Garros, nearly qualified for Wimbledon, and has already beaten several seasoned pros including Marcinko, Hruncakova, and Sakatsume in straight sets this month.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Ito is a capable baseliner who has enough tools to stay in rallies and frustrate aggressive players, but this matchup doesn’t favor her. Valentova is playing with supreme confidence and showing top-80 level form. Her attacking intent, shot tolerance, and variety are too much for Ito unless the Czech collapses under pressure—which seems unlikely at home.

With Valentova fresh off back-to-back ITF titles and Ito still licking her wounds after a first-round thrashing in Porto (1–6, 1–6 to Sakatsume), the gulf in current form is wide. Even if Ito drags points out, Valentova's ability to redirect pace and attack short balls should give her the upper hand.

🔮 Prediction

Prediction: Valentova in 2 sets
Ito’s only path is to force long rallies and hope Valentova gets frustrated. But with the Czech’s sharp form and home advantage, expect another composed performance en route to a comfortable win.