It promises to be an entertaining first day at the Australian Open with 16 first-round matches on the slate. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match, including Aryna Sabalenka vs Ella Seidel, Barbora Krejcikova vs Mai Hontama, and Magda Linette vs Caroline Wozniacki. But who will book their spot in the second round?
Australian Open Day 1 Predictions
Maria Sakkari vs Nao Hibino
Yesh: Nao Hibino often plays well near home and is solid, but Maria Sakkari is a cut above. She’s a threat to get near the title, and expect her to go far.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
Jordan: Sakkari spoke bravely recently about the struggles she faced during much of last season. She seems to be in a much better place, and a strong season from the Greek would not be a surprise. Sakkari should be comfortable against Hibino, who has not been past the second round of a Grand Slam and has not played her best tennis now for a few years.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
Damian: Sakkari has a solid early draw here and could put an end to her Grand Slam woes. Hibino can be a tricky player but she barely finished in the top 100 despite the WTA 250 title in Prague and that’s a good representation of her current level. The United Cup likely gave Sakkari plenty of confidence as well.
Prediction: Sakkari in 2
Embed from Getty Images
Lesia Tsurenko vs Lucia Bronzetti
Yesh: Lesia Tsurenko was solid in 2023, and while Lucia Bronzetti likely has the higher upside, especially on clay, on these courts I like the Ukrainian.
Prediction: Tsurenko in 2
Jordan: Tsurenko surprised many by having her best season in years in 2023 despite her age. The Ukrainian’s attacking tennis shocked many of her opponents. Bronzetti has improved on hard courts, and reached the third round of the US Open last year. It is a tight one to call, but the younger Bronzetti’s movement and grit may just hold up better over a potential three set match.
Prediction: Bronzetti in 3
Damian: Tsurenko is a bit of a statistical anomaly as she has return stats on par with Iga Swiatek, but also the worst numbers on serve out of the whole top 50. Can she produce a season like this again? I’m going to lean no and even someone like Bronzetti with only a pair of solid groundstrokes isn’t a guaranteed win for her at the moment.
Prediction: Bronzetti in 3
Embed from Getty Images
Elina Avanesyan vs Bai Zhuoxuan
Yesh: Elina Avanesyan had her breakout season last year. She gets a fine draw to continue that into the start of 2024.
Prediction: Avanesyan in 2
Jordan: Both players will see this as a great opportunity. Bai Zhuoxuan only has one Grand Slam main draw win, which came at Wimbledon, whole Avanesyan is a clay court specialist. Bai gets a slight advantage here. The 21-year-old has momentum after making great progress last season, and on a hard court I think her game is the more formidable.
Prediction: Bai in 3
Damian: Bai finished the year on a high note, winning two stacked ITF titles (wins two wins over Yuan Yue, as well as Kristina Mladenovic and Mai Hontama). She should be considered the favorite over Avanesyan in pretty quick court conditions. The Russian will try to moonball her and unpack her game with all the variety she can produce in the rally, but will that be enough?
Prediction: Bai in 3
Embed from Getty Images
Caroline Dolehide vs Leolia Jeanjean
Yesh: Leolia Jeanjean is hit or miss, but when she misses she can really fall off her game. Caroline Dolehide isn’t an elite talent, but she’s better than her opponent here. Expect her to reach the second round at the Australian Open.
Prediction: Dolehide in 3
Jordan: Dolehide improved a lot last year, reaching the final of the Guadalajara WTA 1000 and breaking into the Top 50. That makes an upset against her feel doubtful. Jeanjean has only won two Grand Slam main draw matches, and they were both at the French Open. Dolehide is very unlikely to allow her to register a maiden hard court Grand Slam win.
Prediction: Dolehide in 2
Damian: Dolehide has a year of playing main tour events now after that Guadalajara final and it’s up to her to show that she can do this on a more regular basis. She hasn’t shown it yet but this draw might just give her a bit of a break. Seems like the conditions in Australia are so much more favorable to her powerful style than they are for Jeanjean.
Prediction: Dolehide in 2
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
