Australian Open 2019 Preview – January 19th, 2019 at 1:30 am
Garbine Muguruza had that epic late (early?) finish against Britain’s Jo Konta in the second round of the Australian Open. How much of an effect will that have on her going forward? Because of that finish, it is going to be a quick turn around for her as she steps out against Timea Baczinsky for a place in the fourth round.
Timea Bacsinszky v Garbine Muguruza odds*
Garbine Muguruza 2/5
Timea Bacsinszky
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 17th, 2019 at 10:52 pm)
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Muguruza’s second round match against Johanna Konta was a brilliant affair, arguably the best of the tournament so far. There was some high-class tennis played in a strange atmosphere, the two still going at it in front of a barely existent crowd at 3 am Australian time. But Muguruza got the win in three sets and she played some fantastic tennis. She had to be at her best to see off Konta.
If she keeps up the levels then she is going to be a big threat at Melbourne Park in the draw. That was a big step up in the level of competitiveness for the Spaniard after her easy opening victory over Shuai Zheng. Will Murugurza be able to shake off that late finish and get back into the swing of things quickly as she faces Bacsinszky?
Switzerland’s Bacsinszky knocked out the 10th seed Daria Kasatkina in the opening round of action at Melbourne Park. It was then another straight sets victory for her as she took out another Russian in the form of Natalia Vikhlyantseva. Bacsinszky has never been past the third round of the Australian Open in six previous attempts and she may have a tough time getting to the fourth this season as well.
Bacsinszky took part in the Shenzhen Open, the first tournament of the new season and lost in the first round there. So she stepped back out as a warm-up at the Sydney International and made a run to the quarterfinals where she lost to Aliaksandra Sasnovich. So it hasn’t been the hottest of form from her. But if she is able to catch Muguruza with any kind of hangover from the Spaniard’s late finish in her second round match, then there could be a small window of opportunity for the underdog.
There have been five previous meetings between the two players and Muguruza leads 4-1. Their most recent meeting was last year on clay with Bacsinszky taking a win in Madrid. Muguruza has owned the two previous hard court clashes, one of them back at the 2015 Australian Open.
Prediction
We don’t see any immediate fall out from Muguruza’s match against Konta. That was some high-class tennis which is probably going to be difficult for her to replicate on a constant level. But she was serving well, produced some incredible returns at crucial moments and has to be in high spirits.
She probably has too much for Baczinsky and we’ll stay with a Muguruza 2-0 in set betting at 11/10* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 17th, 2019 at 10:52 pm).
