Credit One Charleston Open 2023: Victoria Azarenka vs Anna Kalinskaya preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (6) Victoria Azarenka vs Anna Kalinskaya.
Date: April 6, 2023.
Tournament: Charleston Open 2023.
Round: Third round (Round of 16).
Venue: Charleston, USA.
Category: WTA 500.
Surface: Outdoor clay (green).
Prize money: $780,637.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Victoria Azarenka vs Anna Kalinskaya preview
Sixth seed Victoria Azarenka will take on Anna Kalinskaya in the third round of the Charleston Open on Thursday.
Azarenka has won 12 out of her 19 matches so far this season, most notably reaching the Australian Open semifinals. The former World No. 1 entered the Charleston Open seeded sixth and thus, received a bye into the second round.
Here, she faced Sloane Stephens but did not have the best of starts to the match, as the latter won the opening set 6-3. However, Azarenka fought back in the second set and won it 6-3 to force the match into a decider. The Belarusian took the final set 6-2 to book her place in the third round.
Meanwhile, Anna Kalinskaya has won eight out of 14 matches so far this season, with her best performance being reaching the quarterfinals of the ATX Open. The Russian faced 11th seed Anhelina Kalinina in the first round of the Charleston Open and beat her 7-6 (6), 6-4 to book her place in the second round.
She faced the experienced Alize Cornet and won the opening set via a tiebreak. However, the Frenchwoman bounced back in the second set and won it 6-4 to force the match into a decider.
Kalinskaya was dominant in the final set and clinched it 6-2 to book her place in the third round of the Charleston Open.
Victoria Azarenka vs Anna Kalinskaya head-to-head
The head-to-head between the two stands at 0-0 as they haven't locked horns before.
Victoria Azarenka vs Anna Kalinskaya odds
All odds are sourced from BETMGM.
Victoria Azarenka vs Anna Kalinskaya prediction
Azarenka will enter the match as the favorite to win given her experience and recent run of form.
The Belarusian plays aggressively from the back of the court and is a powerful hitter of the ball. However, she can also play well defensively and her quick transitions can make things difficult for her opponent.
The former World No. 1 served four double faults in her last match, so she will need to keep her second serve in check.
Kalinskaya, meanwhile, has a solid forehand and will look to make the most of it. The Russian will try to force Azarenka to make unforced errors and will have to produce nothing short of her A-game if she is to come out on top.
Azarenka has conjured up some promising performances so far this season. She will certainly fancy her chances of overcoming Kalinskaya and booking her place in the quarterfinals of the Charleston Open.
Pick: Victoria Azarenka to win in straight sets.