TennisSection previews the 2022 Australian Open as Belinda Bencic takes on Amanda Anisimova in the second round on Wednesday, January 19th, 2022.
Will Belinda Bencic reach the third round of the Australian Open for the fourth straight year? Or will Amanda Anisimova maintain her perfect start to the year with a seventh straight match win? A fierce battle is on the cards on Wednesday.
Belinda Bencic needed an hour and 29 minutes to defeat Kristina Mladenovic 6-4 6-3 and book her spot in the second round of the Australian Open. Bencic, who tested positive for coronavirus towards the end of last year, admitted she is still yet to hit peak form. The Swiss woman had an equal share of winners to unforced errors – 17. Bencic broke Mladenovic four times from six opportunities. Considering the circumstances, Bencic has done fantastically to be in this position. She reportedly had severe symptoms for Covid-19, but still produced a respectable showing in Sydney this past week, losing to eventual winner Paula Badosa in three sets in the quarterfinals. The World No. 22 will have a major battle when she takes on another in-form player in Amanda Anisimova.
Amanda Anisimova surprisingly struggled to reach the second round of Australian Open. The young American was pushed to three sets by Dutch qualifier Arianne Hartono. Anisimova committed 39 unforced errors – seven more than her inexperienced opponent. But given sizzling start to the year, Anisimova managed to steady the ship despite her poor performance.
Belinda Bencic leads Amanda Anisimova 1-0 in their head-to-head ahead of their second-round meeting at the Australian Open. That match was played on the grass courts of Mallorca in 2019. Anisimova is a perfect six out of six to open her 2022 campaign. That run includes a title win at the Melbourne Summer Set 2 less than two weeks ago. The American struggled with her second serve against Hartono. She needs to polish up that aspect of her game otherwise Bencic will not back down from chewing it up with her aggressive return. But for some reason, I think Bencic should not be favorite coming into this match following her recent bout of Covid. Anisimova will be buoyed to keep her winning streak intact.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Amanda Anisimova in 3 sets.
Want more Free Tennis Picks from our Experts? Check out our latest Tennis Predictions now!
Join TopCourt now to learn from some of the best tennis players in the world! Find our exclusive 14-day FREE-trial here!
All betting odds/banners presented on the site are advertisements. Opinions of our experts are solely opinions. Please gamble responsibly and BeGambleAware.org.
