Former champion Maria Sharapova stormed into the third round of the Australian Open with an emphatic win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Wednesday. She will look to sustain the momentum of that huge victory when she takes on young upstart Lauren Davis in the round of 32 this coming Friday.
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this blockbuster matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the match between defending champion Serena Williams and Daria Kasatkina.
[sc:TennisArticles ]Maria Sharapova vs. Lauren Davis Betting Preview
Where: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
When: Friday, January 22
Line: Maria Sharapova (-4,000) vs. Lauren Davis (+1,600) – view all Australian Open Women’s Singles lines
Betting on Maria Sharapova
[sc:AUS15-250 ]Maria Sharapova’s quest for a second Australian Open crown is still very much alive after recording a resounding 6-1, 6-2 win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the second round on Wednesday. It was a fantastic performance from Sharapova who needed just one hour and 11 minutes to produce the straight-sets victory. With the win, Sharapova booked a place in the third round of the Australian Open for the 11th time in her career.
Playing on Rod Laver Arena, Sharapova displayed the aggressiveness that made her one of the most feared players in the women’s game. She outhit Sasnovich in the winners department, 22-6. In this tournament thus far, Sharapova is averaging a whopping 25 winners per match.
Waiting in the next round for Sharapova is the talented Lauren Davis. This will be the first meeting between Sharapova and Davis in the WTA Tour. For Sharapova to beat Davis, she needs to continue her excellent return play. She won 67 percent (29-of-43) of her receiving points against Sasnovich with Sharapova converting six of her nine break point chances in the second round.
Sharapova is 7-3 in her last 10 matches.
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Betting on Lauren Davis
Lauren Davis has been handed a free pass into the third round of the 2016 Australian Open after Magdalena Rybarikova retired from their round of 64 clash with an undisclosed injury. Things are bound to get tougher for the second shortest woman in the field, however, as Davis will next face the towering Maria Sharapova.
For Davis to record a major shock this coming Friday and grab her first ever win against Sharapova, the American needs to be accurate with her service game. Davis’ serve was solid in her second-round match against Rybarikova, converting 67 percent of her first serves. Davis took full advantage of that fact, winning 23 of her 33 first serve points for an incredible 70 percent clip.
Davis will also be licking her chops at the prospect of facing a Sharapova serve that has been somewhat shaky in the previous two rounds. After hitting just 61 percent of her first serves in the opening round, Sharapova’s first-serve percentage dropped even further in the round of 64 as she put into play just 56 percent of her first serves against Sasnovich.
Davis is 6-4 in her last 10 matches.
Writer’s Prediction
Sharapova (-4,000) beats Davis in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3.
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