Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova will play Japan’s Ena Shibahara in the first round of the 2022 Sydney International on Tuesday, January 11. Get the live streaming options of this Ekaterina Alexandrova v Ena Shibahara match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Ekaterina Alexandrova v Ena Shibahara Head to Head
This will be the first meeting between the two ladies on the WTA Tour.
Also Read:
Shibahara, a Doubles Star in the Making
23-year-old Ena Shibahara is the current World No. 5 on the doubles circuit and has built herself an enviable collection of trophies.
Last season, the Japanese won five titles with her compatriot Shuko Aoyama in Abu Dhabi, Yarra Valley, Miami, Eastbourne, and Cleveland. They even got a ticket to the WTA Finals where the duo reached the semis.
But when we look at her singles performance, Shibahara is yet to translate this kind of success there. This may be largely due to the fact that she hasn’t played that much tennis on the singles tour.
For instance, she is the current World No. 589 and featured in just six tournaments in 2021 – none of which were the Grand Slams. However, with Aoyama, she moved on to reach the penultimate rounds in the Australian Open and Wimbledon doubles.
Nonetheless, she has the skill set needed to go big. Of course, she needs more practice and exposure but given her overall career so far, there is a lot of promise.
In Sydney, Shibahara started as a qualifier and knocked out Lisa Mays and Claire Liu to earn the main-draw entry.
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Alexandrova, Hoping for Some Reprieve
Ekaterina Alexandrova arrived in Sydney on the back of a four-match losing streak on the WTA Tour. Her most recent loss came in Adelaide where she succumbed to Leylah Ann Fernandez in the opener in straight sets.
The Russian had a largely muted campaign in 2021, barring a couple of quarterfinal appearances. She didn’t make any significant leaps in the singles ranking and kept herself afloat in the top 40.
Alexandrova’s best run of the season came in the home tournament of the Kremlin Cup where she was the runner-up, losing to Anett Kontaveit in the final. Her other notable performances include a quarterfinal feat in Stuttgart and Berlin.
That said, the 27-year-old is certainly more experience in the singles department than Shibahara and that should give her some edge heading into this fixture.
Alexandrova v Shibahara Prediction and Tip
Alexandrova is on a shaky foundation while Shibahara is bolstered by her doubles success. The Japanese has the perfect chance here to bag a singles win or two and build her momentum.
This is a fixture that can likely go either way, but Shibahara, especially at the odds at which she is available, makes for a good bet.
Tip: Shibahara to win 2-1: 12/1 (Click Here to Bet with bet365)
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The 2022 Sydney International will be played from January 10 to 16. You can watch & bet on these matches here. Get your latest premium tennis predictions here.
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