Australian Open 2024 Day 4: Women's singles predictions ft. Maria Sakkari vs Elina Avanesyan
Day 4 of the 2024 Australian Open has quite a few big names in the mix.
The women's side has already witnessed plenty of upsets in the first round. Reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova was sent packing by Dayana Yastremska on Monday.
Top 20 players Veronika Kudermetova, Liudmila Samsonova, and Ekaterina Alexandrova also failed to clear the opening hurdle. As of now, 11 seeded players have been eliminated from the tournament.
The second-round is set to begin from Wednesday, with players like Maria Sakkari and Barbora Krejcikova in action. On that note, let's take a look at how some of the women's matches for the day could pan out:
#1 - Maria Sakkari vs Elina Avanesyan
Sakkari ended the past season on a five-match losing streak but didn't carry the burden of those defeats into the new year. She, along with her fellow Greeks, made it to the last eight of the United Cup.
Sakkari scored wins over Leylah Fernandez, Daniela Seguel, and Angelique Kerber during her time in the tournament. She kicked off her Australian Open campaign with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Nao Hibino.
Sakkari's second round foe, Elina Avanesyan, staged a comeback to oust Zhuoxuan Bai in three sets and made a winning debut in Melbourne. The Greek won just a total of two matches across all four Majors last year.
However, Sakkari seems to be in a much better headspace now. She enjoys playing the Australian Open a lot, as plenty of her fellow Greeks who have settled here come to support her in huge numbers. Given her solid start to the season, the 28-year-old will be expected to win.
Predicted winner: Maria Sakkari
#2 - Barbora Krejcikova vs Tamara Korpatsch
Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion and the ninth seed here, almost became one of the high-profile casualties in round 1 of the Australian Open 2024. However, she narrowly avoided losing to Mai Hontama in the first round as she staged a valiant comeback from a set down to record a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win.
Korpatsch rallied from a set down as well to defeat Jodie Burrage 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. It marked her first win at the Australian Open and just her third at the Majors. On paper, Krejcikova is the firm favorite but her form has been quite shaky thus far.
Krejcikova was knocked out by qualifier Anna Kalinskaya in the first round of last week's Adelaide International. She struggled against Hontama in her opener as well, but got over the finish line.
But Krejcikova has performed quite well at the Australian Open over the past two years. She reached the quarterfinals in 2022 and the fourth round last year. She just finds a way to raise her level here and if Korpatsch puts her to the test, she has it in her to take her game up a notch to secure the win.
Predicted winner: Barbora Krejcikova
#3 - Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Alina Korneeva
After battling past teenager Linda Fruhvirtova in three sets, Haddad Maia will have to deal with another youngster in the form of Alina Korneeva. The Russian came through the qualifying rounds and upset Sara Sorribes Tormo in the first round.
Korneeva, who's just 16 years of age, won the girls' singles title at last year's Australian Open. Comparisons are already being made to Maria Sharapova, but she still has a long way to go before those hold any real weight.
Korneeva's win over Sorribes Tormo marked her maiden Grand Slam victory. Haddad Maia is no stranger to finding herself in lengthy slugfests. Given how the teenager played in the previous round, this could be another extended duel.
Korneeva certainly has the game and the mentality to challenge Haddad Maia. The latter's experience still makes her the favorite, but one can't rule out the young Russian, who has all the makings of the next teen sensation, to continue her dream run.
Predicted winner: Beatriz Haddad Maia
#4 - Caroline Garcia vs Magdalena Frech
Garcia edged past four-time Major champion Naomi Osaka in two tight sets to begin her Australian Open campaign. The Frenchman's strong serving and stinging returns gave her an upper hand throughout the contest.
Frech, meanwhile, battled past Daria Saville to secure her place in the second round. She overcame a tough challenge from the Australian to score a 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5 win.
Garcia's level is known to fluctuate from match to match, but even a slight dip in the quality of play from the first round should be enough to deal with Frech. The latter has a 0-23 record against top 20 players, so the Frenchwoman should be able to advance further with ease.
Predicted winner: Caroline Garcia