Australian Open 2024: Aryna Sabalenka vs Amanda Anisimova preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Aryna Sabalenka vs (PR) Amanda Anisimova
Date: January 21, 2024
Tournament: Australian Open 2024
Round: Fourth round (Round of 16)
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard (Outdoor)
Prize Money: A$86,500,000
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Sports & Sony Liv | Canada - TSN & RDS
Aryna Sabalenka vs Amanda Anisimova preview
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will square off against Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round of the 2024 Australian Open on Sunday.
Sabalenka kicked off her title defense with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Ella Seidel in the first round. Brenda Fruhvirtova offered her some challenge in the second round, but the Belarusian downed her 6-3, 6-2 to advance further.
Sabalenka then faced 28th seed Lesia Tsurenko in the third round. The defending champion was dialed in right from the first point as she handed her opponent a 6-0, 6-0 beatdown.
Anisimova upset 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova in the first round, after which she sent Nadia Podoroska packing in the second round. She was up against Paula Badosa for a spot in the fourth round.
Anisimova rallied from a break down twice in the first set and went up a break herself to go 5-4 up. The American failed to serve out the set at this point as the two were back on level terms once again.
Anisimova then snagged another break to lead 6-5 and stepped up to serve for the opener for the second time. She fended off three break points and finally clinched the set on her sixth set point.
The second set wasn't as much of a struggle. Anisimova landed the first and the only blow in the second set to go up a break. She held onto the lead to win the match 7-5, 6-4.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Amanda Anisimova head-to-head
Anisimova leads Sabalenka 4-1 in the head-to-head. The latter won their previous encounter at the 2022 Italian Open in three sets.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Amanda Anisimova odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Aryna Sabalenka vs Amanda Anisimova prediction
Sabalenka has cruised through the tournament so far, having spent less than three hours combined across her matches. She hardly broke a sweat during her duel against Tsurenko in the previous round. The Belarusian won 76% of her first serve points and struck 16 winners against nine unforced errors.
Once Anisimova had the first set in the bag, she just let loose against Badosa. The American blasted 40 winners throughout the match. She'll be eager to repeat that performance against Sabalenka too.
Sabalenka finally put an end to her losing skid against Anisimova by winning their last match. Their previous four encounters have all been on clay, with the American winning their only match on hardcourts, which was at the 2019 Australian Open.
Anisimova is able to match Sabalenka shot for shot with her equally powerful groundstrokes and strong serve. The American's down-the-line shots have proven to be the bane of the Belarusian's existence whenever they clash.
Anisimova had some discomfort around her abdominal area during the last round and it could hinder her going forward. While she has dominated this rivalry, Sabalenka has improved a lot over the past year. If the Belarusian is able to play with a clear head, she has a good shot at continuing her title defense.
Pick: Aryna Sabalenka to win in three sets.