We start the third round on Day 5 of the Australian Open. On Friday, eight women will advance to the second week. As always, we’re here to predict all eight matches for you. We look at four matches in this article and four in a separate article. Predicting these matches are Jim Smith, Johnny Connell, and Jakub Bobro.
Australian Open Day 5 Women’s Predictions
Barbora Krejcikova vs Jelena Ostapenko
Jim:
Barbora Krejcikova has been handed the task of disrupting a powerful opponent here in the shape of Jelena Ostapenko. If the Latvian is given rhythm and time on the ball, there will only be one winner here. But Krejcikova should have enough tricks up her sleeve to keep Ostapenko from swinging too freely.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 3
Johnny:
A matchup of contrasting styles, the crafty all-court game of Krejcikova against the powerful flat hitting of Ostapenko. Krejcikova is in great form at the moment, one of the toughest players on tour to defeat. Ostapenko managed to pull through the first few rounds despite being typically erratic. A similarly erratic performance from Ostapenko won’t get the job done here. Krejcikova is too solid and too clever for Ostapenko in her current state.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
Jakub:
Krejcikova put in a very impressive shift in her first two matches, dropping only seven games to Andrea Petkovic and Xiyu Wang. Next up is an entirely different challenge though. Ostapenko has managed to pull together two comebacks from a set down against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and Alison Riske. The head-to-head between the two is tied at 2-2, though they’ve only faced each other once in the past six years, where Krejcikova dominated.
Prediction: Krejcikova in 2
Veronika Kudermetova vs Maria Sakkari
Jim:
Veronika Kudermetova has looked sharp so far at this year’s Australian Open, but does she have a big enough game to hit through Maria Sakkari? For me, the answer is no. But she is a good enough player to make a contest of this.
Prediction: Sakkari in 3
Johnny:
Kudermetova seems to fly under the radar. The Russian has game, her aggressive style is well suited to the quick hard courts of Melbourne Park. Sakkari has become one of the most consistent players at major events in recent times having reached a pair of major semifinals last year, she knows how to get the job done. This is a tough test for Sakkari, I reckon she will just sneak through. Sakkari’s superior experience and physicality is likely to give her the edge at the end of a what should be a close match.
Prediction: Sakkari in 3
Jakub:
28th seed Kudermetova has cruised through the first two rounds with straight-set wins against Claire Liu and Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Sakkari has had a similar experience against weaker opposition, defeating Tatjana Maria and Qinwen Zheng. Their head-to-head is tied at 1-1 with their last match being a three-set battle at the 2021 Rogers Cup won by Sakkari. It’s tough to know what to expect from this match, but Sakkari feels like the safer bet.
Prediction: Sakkari in 3
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Marta Kostyuk vs Paula Badosa
Jim:
Marta Kostyuk is another player to have looked impressive so far at the Australian Open and also another player who probably won’t be reaching the second week. Paula Badosa has been at the peak of her powers in wins over Ajla Tomljanovic and Martina Trevisan. If she keeps that up, she should get past Kostyuk comfortably enough.
Prediction: Badosa in 2
Johnny:
Badosa is arguably the form player on tour at the moment. Fresh from winning the title in Sydney the Spaniard has cruised through her first few matches in Melbourne. Kostyuk is likely to be Badosa’s biggest test of the tournament thus far, a test Badosa is ready to pass. Kostyuk has game, but she doesn’t. have the discipline or consistency to hang with Badosa for long enough to be a serious threat.
Prediction: Badosa in 2
Jakub:
The 19-year-old Kostyuk is equaling her best Australian Open run from 2018, which first brought her to the public eye. The Ukrainian defeated Diane Parry and Sara Sorribes Tormo and will next face eighth seed Paula Badosa. The Spaniard is continuing her stunning form from last year, winning the title in Sydney and losing only seven games in wins over Ajla Tomljanovic and Martina Trevisan. Badosa is on a roll here, so a Kostyuk win would be quite the upset.
Prediction: Badosa in 2
Amanda Anisimova vs Naomi Osaka
Jim:
She got off to a slow start against Ariane Hartono, but the signs since have been very encouraging for Amanda Anisimova. Naomi Osaka, however, has been taking no prisoners so far in Melbourne, hammering Maria Osorio and Madison Brengle. She probably won’t find things so straightforward against Anisimova, but it’s hard to see her tournament ending here.
Prediction: Osaka in 2
Johnny:
Anisimova looms as Osaka’s first real test of the tournament. A test Osaka is ready for. Anisimova has the firepower to match Osaka from the back of the court. However, Osaka’s stronger and more reliable first strikes will mean she can control the majority of this match. Osaka’s serve is bigger and far more reliable, that alone should keep her ahead in this matchup. Anisimova is on a roll, but her level is still inconsistent within matches, she can’t afford that here.
Prediction: Osaka in 2
Jakub:
After plummeting down the rankings last year, Anisimova looks to be back in her groove, still undefeated in 2022. The 20-year-old won one of the Melbourne titles in week one and has followed it up with victories over Arianna Hartono and Belinda Bencic. Osaka has taken her first steps in her title defence after playing a limited schedule in the second half of 2021. The 24-year-old has beaten Maria Camila Osorio Serrano and Madison Brengle in straight sets. An absolute popcorn match here but despite the surging Anisimova’s form, I think Osaka gets a statement win here.
Prediction: Osaka in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
