The first round of the 2019 Volvo Car Open in Charleston will see the Swiss No. 1 Belinda Bencic start her campaign against the Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava. The match will be played on Monday, April 1, at around 1:00 pm local time (6:00 pm BST). Get Belinda Bencic v Destanee Aiava live streaming options here.
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Belinda Bencic v Destanee Aiava Head to Head
This is the first time that the two ladies are meeting each other on the WTA Tour.
Bencic’s Decent Start to the Season
The 22-year-old Swiss, who made her top-10 debut in 2016 following a superb run on the tour, spent the last couple of seasons struggling with her form and injuries. In 2018, she returned to the top 50 once again following her runner-up feat in the Luxembourg Open.
This season has been far more promising for Bencic, as she started with a semifinal feat in Hobart and a third-round stint in the Australian Open. In February, she won her first singles title since the 2015 Canadian Open in Dubai, where she overcame some big guns like Simona Halep, Elina Svitolina, and Petra Kvitova.
Bencic maintained her momentum in the Indian Wells Open, reaching as far as the semifinal after upsetting Naomi Osaka and Karolina Pliskova. However, in Miami the following week, she lost in the first round to Yulia Putintseva.
Destanee’s Date with Destiny
Aiava, who is just 18 years of age, is among the many youngsters on the WTA Tour who are eager to make an impact and move up in the rankings. So far this year, she has spent her time mainly on the ITF circuit with not a lot to show for.
Ranked in the early 200s, she started her season WTA Brisbane where she reached the second round as a qualifier. There, she ultimately lost to Naomi Osaka.
After that, the young Aussie had a rather poor showing in Sydney and Melbourne after which, she moved to the ITF circuit. In Charleston, she reached the main draw after moving past Abigail Spears and Tereza Martincova in the qualifiers.
Bencic v Aiava Predictions & Tips
Bencic has been in a much better form of late than Aiava. Furthermore, she has the winning experience and momentum on her side. Expect this one to end in a comfortable victory for the Swiss.
Tip: Under 20.5 games in the match: 5/6 (Bet365)
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Correction: Belinda Bencic didn’t beat Naomi Osaka and Karolina Pliskova in Indian Wells 2019. She beat them in a tournament in Dubai a month early ( February). The tennis tournament in Dubai called: Dubai Duty Free Championship not Canadian Open.