Our tennis writer previews the most exciting ladies’ third round matches at the 2018 Australian Open.
The Women’s draw has already faced the initial wave of tough exits, with big names such as former semi-finalist Johanna Konta and two-time Grand Slam Champion Garbine Muguruza bowing out early.
Melbourne’s harsh heat is shaking up the competition, adding even more unpredictability to the outcomes.
Bernarda Pera 32/10 vs Barbora Strycova 2/11
This matchup is quite intriguing! Barbora Strycova, 31 years young, is a seasoned player with two WTA and nine ITF titles, reaching the fourth round in 2016 and 2017. She’s the clear favourite here, after a strong showing in Sydney.
Her opponent, American Bernarda Pera, born in Croatia, is a rising star making her Grand Slam debut and recently knocked out 9th seed Johanna Konta. At just 23 years old with eight ITF titles, she’s an enigmatic prospect and I see great value at 32/10.
Lucie Safarova 22/10 vs Karolina Pliskova 3/10
Two Czech players face off in this battle: the powerful Karolina Pliskova and former French Open finalist Lucie Safarova. Pliskova leads their head-to-head 5-2, winning all hardcourt encounters. Their last meeting was a thrilling three-setter in Beijing, 2016.
While Safarova struggled in Sydney, Pliskova reached the Brisbane semis and looks to quietly contend here. With her power advantage, Pliskova should prevail.
Carolina Garcia 4/10 vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich 18/10
Carolina Garcia burst onto the scene in 2017, making it to the WTA Finals. She is a strong favourite having beaten Sasnovich previously. However, Garcia had a tough time battling Melbourne’s heat recently.
On the other hand, Aliaksandra Sasnovich has been on a roll, qualifying in Brisbane and beating last year’s semi-finalist. She’s excellent value at 18/10 and could keep this dream start alive.
Maria Sharapova 11/10 vs Angelique Kerber 13/20
This is undoubtedly the glamour clash of the round. Two former champions and iconic figures: Sharapova, recently returning strong with a title win, leads their career head-to-head, but Kerber has taken their last two meetings and recently claimed the Sydney title.
Though Sharapova appears good value, I am backing Kerber to shine and herald a new Aussie Open chapter.
Written by Damien Kayat for @Hollywoodbets.net
