Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Australian Open match.
Badosa and Kostyuk have clashed on the court four times, with the Spaniard emerging victorious in three of those encounters. Paula aims to continue her dominance on hard courts, while Kostyuk will try to put up a fight and seek revenge for her previous defeats.
Paula Badosa
Paula Badosa demonstrated impressive form on hard courts last year. Since August, the Spaniard has won 21 out of 25 matches on this surface. She has a title in Washington and reached the semi-finals of major tournaments in Cincinnati, Beijing, and Ningbo. In the new season, Badosa started with easy victories at the Australian Open, confidently dispatching Wang Xinyu (6:3, 7:6) and Jodie Burrage (6:1, 6:0). Badosa also performs well against Ukrainian players, winning 9 out of 11 matches, including two victories over Kostyuk on hard courts (2-1; 2-0).
Marta Kostyuk
Marta Kostyuk, on the other hand, had an unfortunate start to the season, losing early in tournaments in Brisbane and Adelaide. In the first round of the Australian Open, the Ukrainian achieved a hard-fought victory over Nao Hibino (3:6, 6:3, 6:1), before thrashing Jule Niemeier (6:3, 6:0). However, Kostyuk has been inconsistent against strong opponents, having lost five consecutive matches to higher-ranked players. Moreover, in five of the past six hard-court tournaments last year, Kostyuk was eliminated at the early stages.
Paula Badosa vs Marta Kostyuk Prediction
Badosa exhibits more stable and aggressive play on hard courts, which is her undeniable advantage. Despite Kostyuk's good physical attributes and swift movements, she is unlikely to withstand the pressure from the Spaniard. The history of their head-to-head meetings also favours Paula Badosa.
