Australian Open 2022 Day 1: Women's singles predictions
The 2022 Australian Open is about to get underway, with the top half of the women's draw playing on Monday. World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, defending champion Naomi Osaka and 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin are some of the big names competing on day 1. Let's take a look at how the top seeds could fare on the opening day.
(1) Ashleigh Barty vs Lesia Tsurenko: Top-seeded Barty is the player to beat at this year's Australian Open. The World No. 1 heads into the Major in top form, having won the Adelaide International a few days ago. Tsurenko is a shadow of the player she once was and is highly unlikely to trouble the Australian. Barty to win.
(4) Barbora Krejcikova vs Andrea Petkovic: Both players have started the season well, with Krejcikova reaching the final in Sydney while Petkovic made the quarterfinals in Melbourne. The German is playing at a high level once again, but will find it hard against the 2021 Roland Garros champion.
(5) Maria Sakkari vs Tatjana Maria: The Greek is the heavy favorite to win this one. Her opponent didn't compete in 2021 and hasn't made it past the opening round of a Grand Slam since the 2018 US Open.
(8) Paula Badosa vs Ajla Tomljanovic: Paula Badosa defeated Tomljanovic in straight sets en route to the title at the 2022 Sydney Tennis Classic. Considering the Spaniard's form, she should be confident of securing another win over her Australian opponent.
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(9) Ons Jabeur vs Nuria Parrizas Diaz: Jabeur injured herself while competing in Sydney last week. However, if she's fully fit, she will fancy her chances against her Spanish opponent.
Two Australian Open champions will take the court on Monday
(11) Sofia Kenin vs Madison Keys: Kenin is a former champion in Melbourne but the American is going through a rough patch at the moment. Keys just won her first title in more than two years in Adelaide and will be high on confidence. The 2017 US Open finalist will be keen to take her momentum into the match against kenin.
(13) Naomi Osaka vs Camila Osorio: Defending champion Osaka will not have it easy against the young Columbian Osorio. Although away from the game for much of 2021, the Japanese star has been one of the best hardcourt players over the last few years. Osaka will be the odds-on favorite to progress to the second round.
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(15) Elina Svitolina vs Fiona Ferro: Both players have made a rough start to 2022, not winning a single match. Svitolina, the former World No. 3, has been noted for her consistency, but had a poor 2021 by her standards. This is an opportunity for the Ukranian to start her season on a solid note. Svitolina to win.
(18) Coco Gauff vs Wang Qiang: Gauff has improved every year since bursting on to the scene in 2019. Wang, on the other hand, has regressed after peaking at World No. 12 in 2019. The duo met twice in 2021, with Gauff winning on both occasions. Expect her to make it three in a row.
(22) Belinda Bencic vs Kristina Mladenovic: The Swiss hasn't lost before the quarterfinals of any tournament since winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics in July. Mladenovic's singles career has hit a roadblock over the last two years. The two players share a closely contested rivalry, with the Frenchwoman edging it 4-3. But expect Bencic to level head-to-head on Monday.