Australian Open 2023: Aryna Sabalenka vs Elise Mertens – Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction

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5th seed Aryna Sabalenka faces 26th seed Elise Mertens in the third round of the 2023 Australian Open on Saturday.

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Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka after defeating USA’s Danielle Collins in their 2022 US Open Tennis tournament women’s singles Round of 16 match against at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on September 5, 2022. (Photo by COREY SIPKIN / AFP)

Aryna Sabalenka

The Belarusian star won the Adelaide International 1 before coming to the Australian Open. In the first round of the Australian Open, Sabalenka got the better of Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic in a one-sided encounter. The match ended in straight sets 6-1, 6-4.

Sabalenka played America’s Shelby Rogers in the second round. The former world No. 2 defeated Rogers 6-3, 6-1 to reach the third round. Sabalenka has been in sublime form and she is certainly one of the favorites to go the distance. However, she wouldn’t want to be overconfident at any stage.

Elise Mertens

The Belgian veteran came into the Australian Open on the back of a disastrous Hobart International campaign. She was ousted in the first round by compatriot Maryna Zanevska.

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Belgian Elise Mertens celebrates after winning a third round game in the women’s doubles tournament between Belgian Mertens – Chinese Zhang and Ukrainian Kichenok – Romanian Olaru at the 2022 Wimbledon grand slam tennis tournament at the All England Tennis Club, in south-west London, Britain, Monday 04 July 2022. BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE (Photo by BENOIT DOPPAGNE / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP) (Photo by BENOIT DOPPAGNE/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

Mertens began her Australian Open campaign with a come-from-behind win against the Spanish veteran Garbine Muguruza 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1. In the second round, Mertens made light work of Lauren Davis, beating the American star in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.

Head-to-Head and Prediction

The head-to-head scoreline comfortably sits at 6-2 in favor of Sabalenka. The Belarusian won their most recent encounter at the 2021 US Open in straight sets.

Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in straight sets.

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