Aryna Sabalenka vs Belinda Bencic Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Australian Open

Prediction published on 21/01/2023, 06:57  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 21/01/2023 at 11:22 in Tennis Predictions

It's only January but this match sees the top two in the WTA Race face each other. Belinda Bencic is the 12th seed for this Australian Open and takes on Aryna Sabalenka (seeded fifth) in this fourth round match. The winner will face unseeded opposition in the quarter finals, either Donna Vekic or Linda Fruhvirtova. It's Bencic who currently tops the ranking list based on results achieved this year. That's down to her winning the second Adelaide International tournament beating three top ten ranked players. Before that, the Swiss player had won one of her two matches in the United Cup, then loss being to Iga Swiatek. Three wins in Melbourne this week has stretched her winning streak to nine matches.  The Swiss player began this week ranked tenth in the overall rankings and this run to the last 16 in Melbourne has seen her climb one place. Bencic hasn't dropped a set so far in this tournament and beat Camila Giorgi in the last round. This is only her second time in the fourth round of the Australian Open, the other being seven years ago. There have been two previous meetings between the pair. Bencic won in the 2021 Summer Olympics tournament but lost in 2021 to Sabalenka, retiring in the second set.

Aryna Sabalenka also has a title under her belt this year. That came in the first Aelaide International tournament and followed her reaching the title decider of the WTA Finals last year where she beat four of the then top five ranked players in the world. The world number five (still in that place in the live rankings) can move up to a career-high equalling second if winning her first ever Grand Slam. Sabalenka is yet to reach a Grand Slam final and a win here will take her into her first Australian Open quarter final.  Her previous five Grand Slams have seen her reach three semi-finals and she's the second highest remaining seed in the bottom half of the draw. Sabalenka is yet to drop a set this week dropping just 14 games in three matches. The last round saw her beat 26th seeded Elise Mertens. This is her toughest task of the tournament but can get the win that will see her go to the top of the WTA Race.