Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Australian Open match.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is stronger and younger in this matchup, but one should never underestimate an opponent who has beaten the sixth seed.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Anastasia performed well, especially since in the second round she faced an opponent nearly equal in ranking, Anastasia Potapova. Pavlyuchenkova is ranked 32nd, and Potapova 36th. Unsurprisingly, their match lasted almost 2.5 hours and went to three sets (7:6, 2:6, 6:2). Pavlyuchenkova defeated her compatriot with powerful attacking play. Naturally, this can lead to unforced errors (45-31), but they are offset by winners (33-15).
Laura Siegemund
The 36-year-old German overcame 22-year-old Zheng Qinwen (7:6, 6:3) thanks to an almost flawless first serve percentage (80% compared to 56%), effectiveness on that serve (69-64%), and confident net play (81-39%) throughout the match. The Russian must be ready for stern resistance, as she herself struggled with these aspects against Potapova: 63% first serve and 54% successful net play.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs Laura Siegemund Prediction
Despite a ranking difference of 65 places, this meeting is likely to be protracted, possibly extending to three sets. However, even if there are only two, each will be fiercely contested until the end, suggesting a total over.
