World No. 3 Naomi Osaka will lock horns with the Romanian veteran Irina-Camelia Begu in the quarterfinal of the 2021 WTA Gippsland Trophy on Friday, February 5. Get Naomi Osaka vs Irina-Camelia Begu live streaming options with the latest match tips, preview, and predictions.
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Naomi Osaka vs Irina-Camelia Begu Head to Head
This is the first meeting between the two players on the WTA Tour.
Also Read:
Business as Usual for Osaka
Naomi Osaka is back to her winning self, as if completely unperturbed by the pandemic lockdown.
Competing in her first WTA event since winning the US Open last year, Osaka started in Melbourne as the number 2 seed. In the opening round, she took care of Alize Cornet with 6-2, 6-2.
Next, she met Katie Boulter and admittedly, had some problems against the Brit. She lost the first set managed to take the match 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. The Japanese had a phenomenal first-service win rate at 86.5%. Sheer skill and experience from playing and winning the top-tier events definitely helped Osaka get through to the quarterfinal.
2020 now only saw Osaka win the US Open, but she was also the runner-up in the preceding Cincinnati Open. Among her wins include Victoria Azarenka, Elise Mertens, and Anett Kontaveit.
With 3 majors under her belt, the World No. 3 is definitely a top favourite to win here in Melbourne and the Australian Open.
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Begu Survives Konta onslaught
The Romanian is one of those players on the tour who spends their time alternating between the doubles and the singles circuit. While she is prominently a player in the former, she has seen her fair share of action in the latter too.
Irina-Camelia Begu reached her first quarterfinal of a WTA 500 event in what seems like forever. Her majority of the season last year was spent struggling to move past the early rounds, but this time, things are looking different.
Begu first defeated Saisai Zheng in three sets to move to the second round. There, she defeated Bernarda Pera in straight sets to set up a clash with the British No. 1 Johanna Konta.
In what proved to be one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament, Begu defeated Konta in three and a half hours with 4-6, 7-6(10), 7-6(4).
It is definitely an incredible accomplishment by the Romanian, who has also defeated other top 10 players in the past like Caroline Wozniacki, Karolina Pliskova, Angelique Kerber, Belinda Bencic, among others.
Moreover, she also won the ITF Zed Open in Egypt just last week and this win only adds to her confidence and momentum.
Osaka vs Begu Prediction and Tip
We expect a win here for Osaka but Begu will not make it easy. She seems determined and resilient, something that Osaka will need to watch out for. All in all, it should make for an entertaining affair.
Tip: Osaka to win: 2/5 (bet365)
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The 2021 WTA Gippsland Trophy in Melbourne will be played from January 31. You can watch & bet on the these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.