Aryna Sabalenka will meet Ann Li in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday, February 12, with the match likely to begin at around 11 am local time (12 noon BST or 7 pm Eastern Time previous day). Get Aryna Sabalenka vs Ann Li live streaming options for this match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Aryna Sabalenka vs Ann Li LiveHead to Head
The two ladies have never met before on the WTA Tour.
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Business as Usual for Sabalenka
The 22-year-old Belarusian marched imperiously into the third round of the Australian Open, beating the Russian Daria Kasatkina in the preceding match with 7-6(5), 6-3. That win, while more demanding than her first-round triumph over Viktoria Kuzmova, saw Sabalenka dish out 7 aces and 37 winners. However, she also committed 40 unforced errors to her opponent’s mere 8.
The number 7 seed did not have a good run in the Gippsland Trophy last week when she fell to Kaia Kanepi in the opener. That said, she did manage to win 3 of the preceding tournaments on the WTA Tour, including WTA Abu Dhabi Open, Linz Open, and WTA Ostrava.
Currently ranked World No. 7, Sabalenka has brilliantly fought her way into the top 10 with some incredibly consistent performances.
As a singles player, she has never made it past the third round in a Grand Slam, except for the 2018 US Open where she reached the fourth round. She has a great deal of experience in the doubles disciple, having won the US Open, Miami Open, and Indian Wells doubles titles with Elise Mertens.
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A Defining Run for Li?
Ann Li is currently having what you would describe as a breakthrough spell on the WTA Tour. Just last week, she reached her maiden WTA final in the Grampians Trophy, beating the likes of Sorana Cirstea and Jennifer Brady.
However, she did not play in the final and had to settle for the runners-up trophy. Nonetheless, this marks a dramatic turnaround for the 20-year-old, who spent the end of the previous season playing in ITF events.
Li won 1 of those 3 events – the ITF $100,000 in Texas, beating Marta Kostyuk in the final. Last year, she also reached the third round in the US Open and second round here in the Melbourne Slam.
The junior Wimbledon champion, during her run in Melbourne this week, has beaten the likes of Shuai Zhang and Alize Cornet to reach the third round.
Sabalenka vs Li Prediction and Tip
Li has the momentum and tempo on her side to deliver an upset. But Sabalenka is more experienced and composed and has been in a superior form overall. This game may go to three sets but expect the Belarusian to win.
Tip: Over 19.5 games in the match: 5/6 (bet365)
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The 2021 Australian Open will be played from February 8 to 21. You can watch & bet on the these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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