Nikola Bartunkova vs Taylor Townsend Prediction & Picks - ATX Open
WTA - ATX Open
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by Bradley Gibbs | in Tennis Picks
In Austin, where the ATX Open is taking place, on Wednesday, one of the US hopefuls will be in action. Fresh from her first-round win against Linda Fruhvirtova, Taylor Townsend will face a Czech opponent for the second match in a row. She battled hard to earn victory last time out, but that match may not have left the world number 119 with a full tank, and that's what she'll likely need to defeat up-and-comer Nikola Bartunkova.
Like Townsend, Bartunkova will be facing a player from the same nation for a second match on the spin. During the first round, the youngster defeated Katie Volynets in straight sets, showing that she is very much a player on the up, and not for the first time in 2026. She's now won three matches in Austin (including qualifying) and will likely be confident of securing a fourth straight success.
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Nikola Bartunkova vs Taylor Townsend Form
Nikola Bartunkova and Taylor Townsend Latest Matches
5/6 (83%)
1/6 (17%)
Feb 23, 2026 - ATX Open
Feb 22, 2026 - ATX Open
Feb 21, 2026 - ATX Open
Feb 5, 2026 - WTA Ostrava
Feb 4, 2026 - WTA Ostrava
Feb 2, 2026 - WTA Ostrava
3/6 (50%)
3/6 (50%)
Feb 23, 2026 - ATX Open
Jan 17, 2026 - WTA Australian Open
Jan 14, 2026 - WTA Australian Open
Jan 13, 2026 - WTA Australian Open
Jan 11, 2026 - WTA Australian Open
Oct 13, 2025 - Japan Women's Open
Nikola Bartunkova - Taylor Townsend Key Points
- Nikola Bartunkova arrives off the back of a straight-set win against a better player last time out.
- Nikola Bartunkova has had two extra matches to get used to the conditions in Austin.
- Taylor Townsend endured a really tough three-set match during the first round.
- Unlike Townsend, Nikola Bartunkova had a straight-forward first-round match.
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Our Nikola Bartunkova vs Taylor Townsend Prediction
I was expecting Nikola Bartunkova to be quite a strong favorite here, so it's pleasing to see that she's available at odds of -109 (at the time of writing). For starters, the youngster, who is clearly a rapidly improving player, as we saw at the Australian Open last month, has had three matches to get used to the courts in Austin, and she's won all three in convincing fashion, defeating a top-100 player in straight sets last time out.
That win against Katie Volynets tells me that she ought to be stronger in the betting to beat Taylor Townsend, who was forced to play three tough sets in first round. Townsend has also had less time to recover here, which shouldn't be ignored.
Our Nikola Bartunkova vs Taylor Townsend Pick: Nikola Bartunkova to Win.
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
