The final of the Australian Open 2019 will feature two Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova, battling it out on Saturday in the Rod Laver Arena to win the first major of this season.
Watch & bet on Naomi Osaka v Petra Kvitova with bet365 here* on Saturday, January 26. The Osaka v Kvitova match timings will be announced soon.
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Osaka Continues to Impress
The 21-year-old Japanese, who took the WTA Tour by storm after defeating Serena Williams in the final of the US Open last year, is now just one win away from lifting her second Grand Slam trophy.
Her performance at the Melbourne Park has now put her just one win away from the No. 1 ranking. This is highly impressive, considering that in the same period last year, Osaka was ranked as the World No. 72. Over the course of that season, she won the Indian Wells and reached the final of the WTA Tokyo.
Considering her journey so far, she defeated the likes of Magda Linette and Tamara Zidansek in straight sets in the opening rounds. She then dispatched Su-Wei Hsieh and Anastasija Sevastova in the next rounds to reach the quarters. This is where Osaka met some big names like Elina Svitolina and Karolina Pliskova.
The Japanese No. 1 was in control for most of the time throughout these matches. She kept her calm and stayed focussed on the goal. More impressively, she didn’t let her lack of experience be a factor here and her semifinal fixture against Pliskova is a living testimony of that.
In that three-set affair with the Czech, Osaka won 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 with 15 aces and 56 winners in comparison to Pliskova’s 20. She also had an astounding first service win rate of 81%. Osaka also constantly attacked the Czech’s second service – a big factor that helped her secure this win.
Kvitova’s First Major Final Since 2014
Petra Kvitova is enjoying a resurgence right now, the path to which was laid down in the previous season. From incurring serious injury in her left hand in late 2016 to reach her third major final, Kvitova has certainly been an inspiration for many players. However, her journey till here has been a long and arduous one.
She struggled with her form greatly in 2017 and was knocked out of the top 10. Next season, she turned it all around on the back of five singles titles. After winning big tournaments like the Qatar Open and Madrid Open, she found herself in the top 10 once again. Now, just like Osaka, she is a win away from becoming the World No. 1.
Kvitova started her season on an excellent note by winning the WTA Sydney trophy a couple of weeks back. In Melbourne, she has won all of her matches so far without dropping even a single set. In the semifinal, she dispatched Danielle Collins 7-6(2), 6-0, with the help of 30 winners.
Last time Kvitova found herself in the final was back in the 2014 Wimbledon, where she won the tournament after defeating Eugenie Bouchard in the final.
Kvitova v Osaka – Head to Head
This is the first encounter between the two players.
Kvitova v Osaka Predictions & Tips – Who Will Win the Australian Open 2019 Final?
The two players are known for keeping their composure during the big matches and needless to mention, we have got ourselves an epic fixture here. On one hand, Kvitova is far more experienced than Osaka but the latter has been in an incredible form of late. Both the ladies are prone to making unforced errors and that will be the key here.
While Kvitova will be favoured by the bookmakers, this match can very well go either way.
You can watch & bet on Naomi Osaka v Petra Kvitova with bet365 here on Saturday, January 26.
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