The first round matches at the 2019 Wuhan Open will continue on Monday along with some of the second round matches as the top women’s players in the world take to court. Get the latest Donna Vekic v Victoria Azarenka & Aryna Sabalenka v Danielle Collins tips and predictions with their previews along with other matches can be found below.
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Donna Vekic v Victoria Azarenka Preview
This will be the third time that Donna Vekic and Victoria Azarenka will be playing each other with the 21st-ranked Croat having won both times. Interestingly, both those matches have come this year, and on hard court surfaces which makes Vekic a strong favourite going into this one.
It’s just Azarenka’s ability to keep fighting – as she has often done on and off the court – that’s forcing the bookmakers to not have Vekic as that big a favourite. Vekic starts 8/11 to win this while Azarenka is 23/17.
The problem for Azarenka is her hard court season has been underwhelming. For a player who was 22-1 on win-loss in 2016, she has won just 13 of her 23 matches, losing four of the previous seven. Two of those losses have come to Vekic too. On her part, Vekic has been better off on this surface, 19-11 to her name, but an early loss at hands of Misaki Doi last week makes this an interesting match-up.
Three-setter can be expected.
Tip: Three sets in the match: 6/4 with 888Sport
Aryna Sabalenka v Danielle Collins Preview
Danielle Collins wants to finish off her season on a high, after having beaten Venus Williams in the first round in straight sets. It was a strange match, that saw Collins lose a 5-0 lead in the second set before coming back to win it in a tie-breaker.
However, now she has a bigger contest on her hands as she takes on the ninth seeded Sabalenka, who had an even easier time in round one. Defending champion after having won the title last year, Sabalenka defeated fellow countrywoman Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1, 6-2 to enter the second round.
These two players have featured in one match against each other, and it came in the 2018 US Open. Sabalenka looked like she was cruising to a win in that US Open opener before Collins came back to level the match. The Belarusian finally won it in three sets.
Sabalenka did have a breakthrough of sorts last season, and looked to have begun well this year too with a title in the very first tournament she played – it came in Shenzhen. Since then, however, she has made it as far as the semi-finals just three times and only one has she played in a final. Can she turn things around in a country where she has won her previous title and in a tournament she won last year?
Tip: Sabalenka to win in three sets: 16/5 with 888Sport
Sofia Kenin v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Preview
This is the very first time that Sofia Kenin and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova are facing off at the highest level and there cannot be too much doubt about who starts off a favourite in this first round match. The 15th seeded Kenin will be 17th in the world when the new WTA rankings are released on Monday and for a player who hadn’t won a single WTA title till last year, this is quite amazing going.
Only last week she defeated Samantha Stosur in the final of the Guangzhou Open to win her third, after having done the same at Hobart and Mallorca earlier this year. With a record of 32-11 to her name, Kenin could well be on her way to qualifying for the WTA Finals – just needs a few more such results going her way.
On the other hand, Pavlyuchenkova has had a struggle on hard court surfaces this year, with just 13 wins and 12 defeats to her name so far this season. Her respite came in the form of the appearance in the final at the Osaka Open last week where she lost to Naomi Osaka on Sunday, especially since she defeated Kiki Bertens and Angelique Kerber on her way. But back to back matches would be somewhat of an issue as well and Kenin shouldn’t have too many worries here.
Tip: Kenin to win in straight sets 23/20 with 888Sport
Madison Keys v Camila Giorgi Preview
The world number 16th and in-form Madison Keys is another player in the running for the WTA Finals and is just one spot behind Kenin in that race. A good couple of results will ensure her position as well, especially if some others like Serena Williams opt out and a few struggle to defend their points in the upcoming weeks.
Keys has a positive head to head with Camila Giorgi, her opponent in this first round match. She has won four of their six matches, including both matches last year – the last time they played. One of Giorgi’s wins came at the Fed Cup and other on grass in Wimbledon but when it comes to hard court surfaces, Keys starts favourite.
This also reflects in their respective records on hard courts, with Keys having won 14 of her 21 matches and Giorgi on a 13-10 win-loss record. She did make it as far as the final at the New York Open but followed it up with a first round exit at the US Open and a defeat in the quarterfinals of the Osaka Open last week.
Tip: Keys to win 18/35 with 888Sport