Reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka will be overwhelming favourite to go back-to-back when she takes on Chinese talent Qinwen Zheng in Saturday night’s women’s singles final.
The world No.2 hasn’t dropped a set at Melbourne Park on her run to the final and defeated Coco Gauff in the semifinals, who beat her in last year’s US Open final.
Zheng, seeded 12, has reached her first major final with a US Open 2023 quarterfinal defeat to Sabalenka her previous best result.
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Will the second seed march on to an expected victory or can China’s No.1 provide a shock upset?
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Aryna Sabalenka vs. Qinwen Zheng odds, prediction, match details
Match: [2] Aryna Sabalenka vs. [12] Qinwen Zheng (CHN)
Date: Saturday, January 27
Round: Women’s singles final
Court: Rod Laver Arena
Start Time: 7:30pm (AEDT)
All odds courtesy of TAB
Aryna Sabalenka win: 1.15
Qinwen Zheng win: 5.00
Handicap lean: Zheng +5.5 (1.70)
Score prediction: Sabalenka 6-4 6-2
It’s hard to look past Sabalenka for the victory with the world No.2’s power simply being too much for her opponents throughout Australian Open 2023 and 2024.
Having not dropped a set throughout her six matches at Melbourne Park, Sabalenka at her best will likely be too powerful to stop.
While Zheng has had a kind path to the final, somehow avoiding a match against any other seeded players, the Chinese talent has shown significant improvement in her game.
Against Dayana Yastremska, a player with similar power to Sabalenka, Zheng used the pace of the ball from her opponent and defended expertly to get the job done in straight sets.
This will likely not be enough against Sabalenka but will be a start in making the final into a contest.
Sabalenka has been known to have demons during matches in the past — like when she lost the US Open 2023 final to Coco Gauff after being a set up.
These kind of mental concerns will likely need to happen if Zheng is to have any chance of causing a boilover.
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Aryna Sabalenka vs. Qinwen Zheng best bet
Pick: Sabalenka straight sets
Odds: 1.48 (TAB)
With Sabalenka failing to drop a set so far in the tournament, that result appears to be the most likely in the final against Zheng.
When the second seed’s power game is up-and-running, not many players in the world can stop her.
Zheng’s weak second serve could also be targeted by Sabalenka, who will be expected to step into it and hit it with power.
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Qinwen Zheng head-to-head record
Sabalenka has won her only match played against Zheng at the quarterfinals of US Open 2023 in straight sets.
Sabalenka vs. Zheng head-to-head matches
| Date | Tournament | Surface | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep. 6, 2023 | US Open – Quarterfinals | Hardcourt | Sabalenka 6-1 6-4 |
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Qinwen Zheng live stream, TV channel
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The Nine Network will broadcast Aryna Sabalenka vs. Qinwen Zheng final live and free on Channel Nine.
The match can also be streamed via Stan Sport and 9Now.