Belinda Bencic vs Jelena Ostapenko
23rd January 0100hrs
Tennis – Australian Open – 2nd Round
Pick Bencic 2-0
Bookmaker Betfair
Odds: 5/4 odds taken 16:27 GMT, Tuesday 21 January
Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic has had a busy start to 2020 and here she is, lining up in the second round of action at the Australian Open. She enters a fascinating duel with Jelena Ostapenko who has faded away a bit after her stunning 2017 Slam title in Paris.
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Bencic can win the battle of two established young stars
After a first round exit in Shenzhen in early January, Bencic then went straight back into action in the Adelaide Open. Bencic took wins there against Daria Kasaktina and the in-form Julia Goerges before falling to another big form player, Danielle Collins. Benic is ranked seventh on the WTA and she came through her first round match easily enough at the Australian Open 2020.
That was a straight sets win over Anna Schmiedlova, which in all fairness, was a tricky opener for Bencic to deal with. At the back end of last year, Benic reached her first Grand Slam semi final, which was at the US Open. This is a player who has long been pegged as a future Slam champion.
The 22 year old has been hit with injuries and dips in form, but the potential is there. Success on the hard court looks the most likely route to a Major for her as well. Her record at Australian Open has been improving, going R128 R64 R32 in her last three appearances there.
Bencic seems to be moving with a bit of momentum and she is fit. She looks pretty fresh. So the young Swiss star looks as if she can progress to the next round. She did make it to at least the third round of each Slam in 2019. The bottom line of her potential is far greater though.
Ostapenko is in search of Grand Slam form
Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko burst onto the scene in 2017 with a shock title at the French Open, before hitting the quarters of Wimbledon as well that year. Aside from a semi final at Wimbledon the following year, the 22 year old has not looked like getting close to another Slam title. Certainly not on the hard court surface.
She bowed out in the first round of three of the four Grand Slams last season. There was a hint that she had rediscovered herself a bit towards the end of last season. She reached back to back finals in October 2019 at Linz and Luxembourg, winning one of those.
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However, since her win in Luxembourg last year, Ostapenko didn’t step back on court in competitive action until this Australian Open. So that was a long break from the game. But to her credit she came out firing, dropping just five games in her first round success over Liudmila Samsonova. But then, the aggressive younger is going to face much tougher opposition in the second round.
Belinda Bencic vs Jelena Ostapenko Betting Advice
These are two established younger players on the WTA Tour. Ostapenko has the distinction of already having won at Grand Slam title. She is a fearless player who just likes to attack everything, but in the last year or so she did lose a little bit of that.
It’s basically a situation here where you have her positive mindset against the far more controlled composure of Bencic. The latter for us, is more likely to win out on the day.
Key Facts – Belinda Bencic vs Jelena Ostapenko Betting Tip
- Belinda Bencic was a US Open semi finalist last year
- Belinda Bencic is ranked 7th on the WTA, Ostapenko 45
- Jelena Ostapenko won the one previous meeting in 2018
What appeals with Bencic is that she has had plenty of time out on court in early 2020, so her match sharpness should be a grade above that of Ostapenko. This is a great-looking fixture, but it’s a clean sweep for Bencic that appeals.
The best betting odds for Belinda Bencic vs Jelena Ostapenko
Belinda Bencic to win: 4/7 at Betfair
Jelena Ostapenkoa to win: 11/8 at Betfair
