3 minute read

Ace Previews provides Australian Open Tips across select matches throughout the Australian Open. Find his full match previews, selections and betting strategies right here on the Betfair Hub.

COCO GAUFF VS ARYNA SABALENKA

Here we have the rematch of the US Open final from last year, which saw Coco Gauff come from a set down to defeat Aryna Sabalenka to claim her home grand slam. Sabalenka is out for revenge here in Melbourne, in what many feel is the 'final before the final'. Sabalenka has been largely untouchable through her first five wins over Seidel, Fruhvirtova, Tsurenko, Anisimova and Krejcikova. It's hard to fault the form, and she comes in perfectly primed for revenge from the US Open.

The market has certainly found her in the last couple of days for both this match and the outright, and a lot of that has to do with Gauff's performance against Kostyuk. Gauff was all over the place for large parts of that match, however if you look across the larger sample size, she still commands a large amount of respect.

Sabalenka is the deserving favourite, however Gauff showed at the US Open final her resilience and ability to step up and respond in adversity. I don't see either player being allowed to run away with this after winning the first set, and the over 21.5 games looks to appeal here.

Betting Strategy

BACK: Total Games Over 21.5 (0.75 units recorded at $1.84) 

DAYANA YASTREMSKA VS QINWEN ZHENG

The Dayana Yastremka train has gained significant momentum over the course of the last 2 weeks. Can it be stopped?

By the time these two take to the court on Thursday night, there will only be three players remaining in the tournament. This presents a massive opportunity for both Yastremska and Qinwen Zheng.

I do wonder if the slightly slower night session conditions that we are seeing at night on Rod Laver Arena, conditions which Zheng has played in twice in a row, may help her a little more than it does for Yastremska. Yastremska was largely the beneficiary of Noskova's 6 winners and 21 unforced errors yesterday, whereas although Zheng looked to be quite nervous in the early stages against Kalinskaya, and struggled with both a low first serve percentage and forehand struggles, she still managed over 40 winners and ran away with the match.

In terms of scope and room for improvement on recent performances, there is more scope to Zheng's game. Happy to take the -2.5 games here. Yastremska's best level may be a touch higher than Zheng, however Zheng's ability to maintain a level near her best is stronger.

Betting Strategy

BACK: Zheng -2.5 games vs Yastremska (1 unit recorded at $1.79) 

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