Elise Mertens vs Karolina Muchova Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Australian Open

Prediction published on 14/02/2021, 09:45  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 14/02/2021 at 10:45 in Tennis Predictions

Elise Mertens is the 18th seed at the Australian Open and takes on Karolina Muchova (seeded 25th) for a place in the quarter finals. Mertens has only ever made it through to three Grand Slam quarter finals. Two were at the US Open in 2019 and 2020. Both times she failed to make it to the last four and her only Grand Slam semi-final appearance is at this Australian Open in 2018. The Belgian lost to eventual winner Carolina Wozniacki in straight sets. Mertens has already shown good form in 2021 winning the Gippsland Trophy in Melbourne with wins over top five players Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka. That built on a run to the final of the Linz tournament last November. Her run of form has continued in this tournament with three straight sets victories. That included demolishing 11th seed Belinda Bencic in the third round for the loss of just four games. 

Now she takes on Karolina Muchova who is bidding to reach only her second Grand Slam quarter final. The other was in 2018 at Wimbledon but this is only the second time since then that she's made the fourth round. Her two warm-up events didn't go too well with a last 32 loss in Abu Dhabi and a quarter final defeat by Kaia Kanepi in Melbourne. Kanepi went on to lose to Mertens in the final. This tournament has gone better for her with three straight set wins and in the third round, she beat sixth seeded Karolina Pliskova.  This could be a tight match but the preference is for Mertens to continue her good run and get the win.