{"id":45317,"date":"2022-01-16T13:04:32","date_gmt":"2022-01-16T18:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=45317"},"modified":"2022-01-16T14:36:42","modified_gmt":"2022-01-16T19:36:42","slug":"2022-australian-open-womens-singles-roundtable-predictions-champion-dark-horse-early-exit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2022\/01\/16\/2022-australian-open-womens-singles-roundtable-predictions-champion-dark-horse-early-exit\/","title":{"rendered":"2022 Australian Open Women\u2019s Singles Roundtable Predictions: Champion, Dark Horse, and Early Exit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ahead of the first Grand Slam of 2022, four Last Word on Tennis writers–Vithun Illankovan (@VitIllankovan<\/a>), Damian Kust (@damiankust<\/a>), Fraser Learmonth, and Andy Watson–made their Australian Open predictions for the Women\u2019s Singles tournament. We will also have a separate roundtable for the men\u2019s singles<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Australian Open Women\u2019s Singles Roundtable Predictions<\/h2>\n

Champion\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Who will win the US Open?<\/em><\/h4>\n

Vithun<\/em>: (3) Garbi\u00f1e Muguruza [ESP]<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

When the 2021 WTA season concluded, I was confident Karolina Pliskova would finally win her maiden Grand Slam at this year’s Australian Open<\/a>. Unfortunately, she subsequently pulled out of the tournament with injury. Therefore, I predict her pigeon Garbi\u00f1e Muguruza to be victorious in her absence. The Spaniard finished the 2021 season with the prestigious WTA Finals title (with her only defeat at the tournament coming to Pliskova) and that has been a good omen for winning the Australian open<\/a> the following year. In addition, Muguruza lost to the eventual champion at the last two Australian Opens–in 2020, she was runner-up to Sofia Kenin coming within four games of victory and in 2021 she had two match points in her 4th Round match against Naomi Osaka. To add to her hopes Kenin has been awful since her spectacular 2020 season and Osaka has a poor 8-4 record<\/a> in tournaments as defending champion, failing to reach the quarterfinals in any of her title defense attempts. The combination of omens, her tournament history, demise of her rivals and there being 0% chance she can face Pliskova (whom she is 2-10 against) en route to the title is why I am predicting Muguruza to win in Melbourne.<\/p>\n

Damian: <\/em>(14) Simona Halep [ROU]<\/strong><\/p>\n

As per usual, the women\u2019s side is significantly more open than the men\u2019s. Simona Halep is a former champion of the Australian Open and played extremely well to win the WTA 250 event in Melbourne. She\u2019s back in good health and seems to have regained the hunger and motivation to compete. Almost every single title favorite has a tough draw and Halep also didn\u2019t avoid one with Muguruza as her projected fourth-round opponent. I think the combination of her experience and lots of confidence coming from a great start to the season can be deadly here.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fraser: <\/em>(5) Maria Sakkari [GRE]<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maria Sakkari will be the women\u2019s champion this year. The Greek probably should have won Roland Garros last year and was the favourite to win the US Open as well heading into the semifinals. Sakkari has improved both in terms of level of play and results every year for the last 10 years. If that pattern holds true she should at least make a Grand Slam final this year. I think she goes one better and wins one. It could be any of them as she is a real threat on all surfaces, so why not the first of the year.<\/p>\n

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