Nina Stojanović vs Jessika Ponchet

WTA Prague 1st Round Preview: Nina Stojanović vs Jessika Ponchet

🧠 Form & Context

Nina Stojanović
🎾 Experienced returnee: Once ranked in the Top 100, the Serbian is making a steady climb back, with 19–13 on the year so far.
📈 Recent spark: Qualified for Wimbledon with solid wins over Masarova and Garland, and now qualifies again in Prague despite a heavy loss to Gao.
💡 Prague familiarity: Reached the R16 in 2021, and thrives in mid-tier WTA events when she’s in rhythm.
📊 Reliable on hard courts: Has a strong historical win record on hard, and her flat, clean ball-striking plays well on low-bounce surfaces.

Jessika Ponchet
📉 Mixed season: Just 6–5 on clay and 2–3 on hard in 2025, though she’s made several deep runs in ITFs—including a SF at Birmingham and F at Murska Sobota.
🧠 Mental resilience: Recovered from a set down in both Prague qualifiers; battle-tested and confident under scoreboard pressure.
🎾 Grass was her best: Her most consistent stretch came during the grass swing in June, but hard courts have been hit-or-miss.
🆚 H2H edge: Beat Stojanović in 2018 (Playford ITF), but both players have evolved significantly since.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Stojanović enters the main draw with more high-level match play under her belt in recent months, especially on the surface. Her serve and timing on return tend to hold up well on hard courts, and she’s been pushing top-100 players deep into sets—even taking Kalinskaya to a tiebreak at Wimbledon.

Ponchet is scrappier and arguably the grittier competitor, especially in long rallies, but she has fewer weapons to finish points cleanly. On these relatively slick Prague courts, that lack of baseline punch could cost her.

The Serbian also has a more dependable serve and doubles experience that helps in pressure situations. If Ponchet’s second serve is exposed early, it could tilt the match fast.

🔮 Prediction

Prediction: Stojanović in 2 sets
More hard-court polish and recent success against stronger opponents give her the edge. Ponchet will hang tough but may struggle to hold serve consistently.