Second seed and former World No. 1 Simona Halep faces Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava in the first round of the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set on Wednesday, January 5. Get the live streaming options of this Simona Halep v Destanee Aiava match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Simona Halep v Destanee Aiava Head to Head
Simona Halep and Destanee Aiava have played just once before this. Incidentally, that match happened at the Australian Open where Halep defeated the then 18-year-old Aiava in straight sets.
Also Read:
Halep Dismisses Retirement Concerns
Simona Halep rebuffed claims that her playing days could be over. Instead, her major focus is to return to the upper echelons of the sport.
Currently ranked 20th in the world, Halep lost her proud record of 373 consecutive weeks being ranked inside the top 10. That streak is the eighth-longest in WTA history.
2021 was a year of upheaval to an extent for the Romanian. She failed to win a WTA title for the first time since 2012 and brought the curtain down to her season following a knee injury sustained in Linz last November.
Halep did have an awesome time off the court. She got married last year and admits she wants to play tennis for many more years to come. She will hope her body continues to hold up.
Halep’s longevity inside the world’s top 10 was largely due to her conditioning and excellent fitness record. At 30, it is a real test especially when you consider she had to forfeit her Wimbledon title defense last summer following a calf injury sustained in Rome.
Can the New Year unearth a new Halep?
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Aiava Battles Past Preston For Main Draw Spot
In a battle between two Australians with a grand total age of 37, it was 21-year-old Destanee Aiava who proved too strong for her 16-year-old counterpart Taylah Preston.
Aiava had secured a surprise win in her first qualifying match when she defeated former World No. 12 Wang Qiang in straight sets. That win instilled confidence in her game to take out Preston.
And the teenager, like Aiava, was over the moon following her shock win over Sara Errani. But Preston was playing in just her fifth match as a professional and her game is still a work in progress.
Neither player managed to stay grounded particularly on serve. But it was Aiava who was slightly more consistent on that front, converting seven out of eight break point chances. She completed a 6-4 6-4 win in an hour and 26 minutes – reaching a WTA main draw for the fourth time in her career.
Halep v Aiava Prediction and Tip
This should be a comfortable afternoon of work for Simona Halep. While Aiava has done remarkably well to reach the main draw of a WTA tournament for the first time since 2019, this is a tough hurdle to clear.
Tip: Halep to win AND Under 18.5 games: 6/5 (Click Here to Bet with bet365)
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The 2022 Melbourne Summer Set will be played from January 4 to 10. You can watch & bet on these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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