Oksana Selekhmeteva is a rare presence in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament, whereas Paula Badosa needs to defend the semi-final she reached at last year’s Australian Open.
Oksana Selekhmeteva
On 19 January, the player ranked just outside the top 100, Oksana Selekhmeteva, won her first ever main-draw match at the Australian Open, even though she is already 23. She only made it into the main draw for the first time in the 2023 season. This time Selekhmeteva came through against Ella Seidel (6:3, 3:6, 6:0), who was also higher in the rankings (No.82). That, however, was not particularly surprising: despite the rankings, the odds on her were slightly shorter.
Paula Badosa
Paula Badosa defeated Zarina Diyas, who used to be a familiar name on the tour, 6:2, 6:4 in the first round. She needed only 100 minutes to progress. In fact, the first set alone took Badosa six minutes longer. It was hard to catch her off guard: she was very solid from the baseline and also effective at the net (11/15).
Oksana Selekhmeteva vs Paula Badosa Prediction
However, compared with Zarina Diyas, who has not played at this level for a long time, even the little-known Oksana Selekhmeteva looks more competitive. Of course, she is unlikely to get past Paula Badosa, but she should at least offer some resistance. We are still backing Badosa with a -4.0 game handicap.
