2014 Australian Open [Live Streaming Info, Women’s Singles] – Stosur to Advance, Dellacqua to Fall Short in Day 5
Seeded players continued to fall in the second round of competition in the women’s side of the 2014 Australian Open. Seven ladies got the boot in the first two days or the first round, and four others joined them in the sidelines as the upsets, at least in the ladies division, piled up in Melbourne.
On Day 3 (Wednesday, Jan 15) 15th seed Sabine Lisicki from Germany and 18th seed Kirsten Flipkens from Belgium both got eliminated and on Day 4 (Thursday, Jan 16), it was 32nd seed Slovakia Magdalena Rybarikova and Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski who got the untimely boot.
Will the seeded players’ bust out list have more by end of Day 5 (Friday, Jan 17)? Here are three matches worth watching (and betting on) with predictions:
#4 Li Na (China) vs. #26 Lucie Sarafova (Czech Republic) at 12:30 pm AEDT
Match Odds: Li (1.13) vs. Safaraova (6.05)
Game Handicap: Li (-5.5) vs. Safaraova (+5.5)
All-time head-to-head (7 meetings): Li def. Sarafova, 6-1 (Li won last match, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in 2012)
Prediction: Li def. Safarova in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4
Jie Zheng (China) vs. Casey Dellacqua (Australia) at 2:30 p.m. AEDT
Match Odds: Zheng (2.22) vs. Dellacqua (1.67)
Game Handicap: Zheng (+2.5) vs. Dellacqua (-2.5)
*First meeting between Zheng and Dellacqua.
Prediction: Zheng def. Dellacqua, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5
#17 Samantha Stosur (Australia) vs. #14 Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) at 7:00 pm AEDT
Match Odds: Stosur (2.22) vs. Ivanovic (1.67)
Game Handicap: Stosur (+2.5) vs. Ivanovic (-2.5)
All-time head-to-head (7 meetings): Stosur leads Ivanovic, 4-3 (Ivanovic won last match, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in 2013)
Prediction: Stosur def. Ivanovic in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5
Watch the ladies in action via AO TV Live.