World number three Naomi Osaka will kick-start her new year with a second round match at the 2021 WTA Gippsland Trophy against Alize Cornet of France. This will be played on Tuesday, February 2, with the match likely to begin at around 2:30 pm local time (8:30 am Eastern Time). Get the live streaming options of this Naomi Osaka v Alize Cornet match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Naomi Osaka v Alize Cornet Head to Head
There have been no previous matches between Osaka and her 53rd-ranked opponent Cornet.
Also Read:
Osaka Hoping to Replicate US Open Success
2020 was a year to remember for Osaka and not just for her success on the court but also her stands off it.
The 2019 Australian Open winner did not have the greatest start to the season though, when she fell in the third round of the year’s first major and then lost in her only Fed Cup tie 6-0, 6-3 to Sara Sorribes Tormo. Before she could play another match, the tennis season was brought to a pause by the pandemic.
Osaka, who had earlier featured in an exhibition match against Serena, returned in the second half of 2020, played 11 matches spread across two tournaments and won each of them. In doing so, the Japanese player won her third Grand Slam title and made it to the final of the Cincinnati Open which had to retire from because of a hamstring injury.
What Osaka would want is for her to ease into the new season, testing her fitness on the way given the lack of tennis and the manner in which she withdrew from the rest of the year because of her hamstring in 2020 after the US Open victory.
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Cornet Registers Comeback Win in Opener
Even before going into her first round match, there were no firm favourites between Cornet and Ajla Tomljanovic and the way the match turned out, it looked like going the way most bookmakers would have thought.
In a match lasting nearly two and a half hours, Cornet overcame a first set loss to register a 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 win over her Aussie opponent.
Cornet was down a break of serve early in the first set, came back to level it in the eighth game only to drop serve again and the set to go with it. Things, however, turned around in the second set, as she raced off to a 5-0 lead with a couple of breaks of serve before Tomljanovic got on the board.
And continuing that form in the third set, Cornet broke the Aussie in the very first game, staved off a break point while serving at 4-3 and then wrapped up the encounter by breaking her opponent again in the final game to book a second round berth.
Osaka v Cornet Prediction and Tip
Osaka is an overwhelming favourite here, having tested herself out in her exhibition match against Serena. While she lost that match in three sets, there is no doubting she should have no issues here if fully fit.
Tip: Osaka to win in straight sets: 3/5 (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.
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