Defending champion and the World No. 4 Elina Svitolina will begin her 2019 WTA Tour against the rising Belarusian player Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Wednesday in Brisbane.
Watch & bet on Elina Svitolina v Aliaksandra Sasnovich live in the Brisbane International with bet365 here* on Wednesday, January 2.
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Repeat of 2018 Brisbane International Final
Svitolina and Sasnovich have crossed paths only once in their careers so far. Interestingly enough, that encounter took place in the final of none other than the 2018 edition of WTA Brisbane.
In that eventful fixture, it was the Ukranian who had the upper hand throughout the match. Ultimately, she won the match comfortably with 6-2, 6-1, to lift her first trophy of the season.
The two players are now meeting again – this time, in the opening round of the same competition. Let us took a look at who has the better chance of winning here.
Svitolina’s Awe-Inspiring Season
Over the last couple of years, the Ukranian’s form on the tour has been absolutely superb, to say the least. She has cemented her position in the top 6 owing to her remarkable performances. Even though she is yet to win a Grand Slam, she has definitely done more than enough in other competitions to stay up with the top players.
For instance, in 2018, she won in Brisbane and followed it with a couple of other sensational victories in the WTA Dubai, Italian Open and of course, the year-end WTA Finals where she defeated some big players like Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki, and Sloane Stephens.
Svitolina also backed this performance with her runs in the Rogers Cup and Miami Masters, where she reached the penultimate rounds. For the 2019 season, she wants to become the World No. 1 and win a Grand Slam. She is hoping to use her previous performance as a foundation to build her season on.
Sasnovich’s Career-Best Season
The 24-year-old Belarusian started her 2018 season in Brisbane as a qualifier. For her to reach the final there was certainly a remarkable feat. However, up until the Wimbledon, that was her single-best run on the WTA Tour that year.
At the SW 19, she reached the fourth round and followed it with a semifinal run in the WTA Moscow. Later that year, she reached the quarterfinal in the Kremlin Cup where she lost to Johanna Konta.
Despite the dearth of singles title, Sasnovich ended the season as the World No. 30 – her best ranking so far.
Svitolina v Sasnovich – Who Will Win?
Between the two players, it is Svitolina who has the upper hand. She is in a far superior form and is soaring high on confidence after winning in Singapore. However, she will have to keep an eye out for Sasnovich and ensure that she doesn’t succumb early in the game. We can expect Svitolina to win this one in straight sets.
You can watch & bet on Elina Svitolina v Aliaksandra Sasnovich live in the Brisbane International with bet365 on Wednesday, January 2.
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