5th seed Aryna Sabalenka squares off against Croatian youngster Donna Vekic in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Australian Open on Wednesday.
Aryna Sabalenka
The Belarusian star has been in sensational form in the tournament so far. She is yet to drop a set and is certainly one of the prime favorites to go the distance.
Sabalenka began with a comprehensive win against Tereza Martincova in the first round. She blew away Shelby Rogers in the second round. In the third round, Sabalenka beat 26th seed Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-3. Belinda Bencic locked horns with Sabalenka in the fourth round. The Swiss sensation could not take a set off Sabalenka and lost the match 5-7, 2-6. With this win, Sabalenka made it to her second consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Donna Vekic
The 26-year-old has reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since the 2019 US Open. She is unbeaten in 7 matches this season.
Vekic started with a tight win against Oksana Selekhmeteva in the first round. The match ended in three sets 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (10-7). In the second round, Vekic made light work of 18th seed Liudmila Samsonova as she won the match 6-3, 6-0. The domination continued in the third round as Vekic eased past Nuria Parrizas-Diaz in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. In the fourth round, Vekic played the young and talented Linda Fruhvirtova. The match ebbed and flowed but Vekic used her experience to win the match 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. 11 double faults from Fruhvirtova also aided Vekic.
Head-to-Head and Prediction
Donna Vekic has had Aryna Sabalenka’s number over the years. The Croatian star leads the head-to-head scoreline 5-1. She defeated Sabalenka in their most recent encounter in the 2022 San Diego Open in three sets.
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in straight sets.
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