The first round of the Australian Open has pretty much wrapped up, and Maria Sharapova is looking to be in top form based on the early results.
Next up for the ravishing Russian is Aliaksandra Sasnovich, who came out on top of her opening round bout against a higher-seeded opponent. Can Sasnovich pull off another upset, or will Sharapova prove to be too daunting of a competitor for her?
Let’s take a closer look at this intriguing matchup below. After this, head on over to our previews for Radwanska-Bouchard and Kvitova-Gavrilova to be on top of a couple more exciting WTA matches from Down Under.
[sc:TennisArticles ]Maria Sharapova vs. Aliaksandra Sasnovich Betting Preview
Where: Melbourne Park, Melbourne
When: Wednesday, January 20
Line: Maria Sharapova vs. Aliaksandra Sasnovich – view all Australian Open Women’s Singles lines
Betting on Maria Sharapova
In spite of being out of action between now and November of last year, World No. 5 Maria Sharapova doesn’t seem to have missed a step from her winning form. Sharapova coasted through her first round match of the Australian Open against No. 56 Nao Hibino, 6-1, 6-3, on Monday.
[sc:AUS15-250 ]The 28-year-old sensation was slated to participate in Brisbane earlier this month, but a sore left forearm kept her from playing in her first tournament of the calendar year. However, she didn’t look bothered at all by her recent injury as she dished out 11 solid aces in the victory against Japan’s Hibino.
Sharapova was sharp throughout the contest, converting 86 percent of her points on first serve and over half of her points on return. Her stellar play from this opening round contest can be considered as a great tune-up match before possibly seeing Serena Williams – whom she lost to at the final round of this Grand Slam event last year – in the latter stages of the tournament.
This Wednesday, Sharapova must avoid being too complacent in her first-ever encounter with Aliaksandra Sasnovich if she’s really driven to win her second Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. She’ll also have to capitalize on tide-shifting opportunities, as she only converted five of the 15 break point attempts from her match against Hibino.
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Betting on Aliaksandra Sasnovich
21-year-old Aliaksandra Sasnovich has got a long career ahead of her in the WTA, and her first win at a Grand Slam event has got to be very uplifting moving forward. She defeated No. 91 Evgeniya Rodina in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(2), on Monday for her first win of 2016 as well.
Sasnovich’s first bout here in Melbourne was a sound one, having out-aced Rodina 7-to-1 and winning six of her eight break point attempts. The Belarusian also knocked-in seven winners to her opponent’s one to make her fourth-career Grand Slam appearance a rather memorable one.
Then again, taking on a top-caliber player like Sharapova could very well bring Sasnovich’s spirits down just as fast as it had ramped up. And considering that two her games at Sydney and Brisbane this year were both loses to players outside of the top 70, many would consider Wednesday’s match as a lost cause for the Minsk native.
Let’s also not forget that Sharapova only has four losses on the hard surface dating back to last year, and is also a four-time Australian Open finalist to boot. Meanwhile, Sasnovich has a rather respectable record of 15-11 from the start of 2015 to the present on the same turf, but that still ultimately pales in comparison to Sharapova’s accomplishments.
Writer’s Prediction
Sharapova makes quick work of Sasnovich, 6-3, 6-2.
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