Two-time defending champion Elina Svitolina will start her campaign in the 2019 WTA Rome Open on Tuesday against former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka. The match will take place on Tuesday, May 14, after 7:30 pm local time (6:30 pm BST). Get Elina Svitolina v Victoria Azarenka live streaming options here.
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Elina Svitolina v Victoria Azarenka Head to Head
Azarenka currently holds a 2-0 lead over Svitolina, with both of those wins coming back in 2015 – a time when the Belarusian was at the peak of her form.
They last met in the Canadian Open, where Azarenka won 6-1, 6-4.
Svitolina Still Not at her Best
World No. 6 Elina Svitolina has had a rather uneventful past couple of weeks, mainly on account of knee pain. Up until the Miami Open, she had a pretty good run on the tour, reaching back to back semifinals in Doha, Dubai, and Indian Wells.
But in Miami, the current WTA Finals champion was handed a shock defeat at the hands of Yafan Wang in the opener following which, she took a recovery break from the tour.
Svitolina returned to action in Madrid last week, where she lost to Pauline Parmentier in the opening match. The Ukranian is certainly a formidable player, having scored wins over the likes of Garbine Muguruza, Serena Williams, Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki, Simona Halep, and other big names.
However, her recent loss in form certainly opens up avenues for Azarenka to exploit.
Azarenka Off to a Good Start
Azarenka started her campaign in Rome with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Shuai Zhang. In an unusually cold and daunting condition, she played extremely well and sent a strong message to the rest of her opponents. That win was also among Azarenka’s most clinical wins of the season.
The Belarusian has had an intriguing time on clay this year, reaching the final in Monterrey – her first one since the 2016 Miami Open. She also reached the quarterfinal in Stuttgart and in both the cases, she retired from the match after being up in the final set.
While she lost early in Madrid last week to Sloane Stephens, Azarenka has still managed to play some quality tennis. She is slowly improving her form and it is a good sight to watch her so determined and committed.
Victoria Azarenka v Elina Svitolina Predictions & Tips
This is going to be a tight game. While Azarenka has much more experience, Svitolina has that energy and rhythm to take the unseeded Belarusian head to head. At the same time, she is also vulnerable following her shocking exit in Madrid last week.
This is a game where anything can happen but we have a feeling that Azarenka will come out on the top here.
Tip: Azarenka to win: 3/4 (888Sport)
The Victoria Azarenka v Elina Svitolina match can be watched live with Unibet here on May 14, 2019. Also, get the latest tennis tips and predictions here.
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