Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Australian Open match.
Aryna Sabalenka continues her title defence at the Australian Open, where she is the main favourite. The world number one has won the last two Australian Opens and is now in a strong position for a third consecutive victory in Melbourne. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro has reached the main draw of the Australian Open for the first time, but she has shown commendable performance in other majors, reaching the third round at Wimbledon and the US Open.
Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka commenced the tournament with a confident victory over Sloane Stephens (6:3, 6:2). Despite the convincing scoreline, her performance was not flawless: she had a negative winners-to-unforced-errors ratio (20-21) and lost two service games. Nevertheless, Sabalenka closed the match comfortably, showcasing a high level of aggression and power play. It's worth noting that since the start of last year, she has won 26 out of 27 hard court matches and is in prime form following her Brisbane title triumph.
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
Bouzas Maneiro defeated world number 87 Sonay Kartal in the first round (6:1, 7:6), though she faced challenges in the second set, which went to a tiebreak. The Spaniard displayed aggressive play, with a winners-to-unforced-error ratio of 23-26, but her inconsistency in games can prove a major issue against a player of Sabalenka's calibre. Maneiro has struggled against elite opponents: in four of her last five matches as a clear underdog, she lost without much resistance.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro Prediction
The difference in class between these players is vast. Sabalenka traditionally improves as the tournament progresses, encountering no issues against players of Bouzas Maneiro's level. The Spaniard's instability, frequent errors, and poor performance under pressure mean the power of the world number one's shots will give her no chance. Considering that the total number of games in the first set was under 8.5 in four of Jessica's last five hard court matches, a swift victory for the Belarusian is expected.
