Aryna Sabalenka has been absolutely on fire to start the year, so what can Daria Kasatkina do to stop her at the 2024 Brisbane International?
Last year's Australian summer was amazing for Aryna Sabalenka who won her maiden Grand Slam at last year's event. It was the start of an amazing season for her and she's hopeful that it continues this year.
If the start is anything to go by, then it certainly will be, as Sabalenka has been on fire. Impressive wins in Brisbane sent her to the quarter-final, where she'll face Daria Kasatkina, who also played pretty solid tennis.
Can the Russian take out the Sabalenka remains in question, though. Sabalenka is not the type of player she likes to play because she doesn't really have the power to match her.
Head-to-head:
She's beaten her before, so it's not like it's impossible, but generally, it was the Belarusian who dominated the matchup. She leads it 5-2 and 3-1 on hard courts. Kasatkina's last win came in 2022 at the San Jose Open, which is oddly a really great place for her.
She won the trophy there and just loves to play at the event, but generally, on faster courts, she's in trouble against Sabaelnka, who unleashes her full power. Both matches last year were easy wins for Sabalenka.
Prediction:
Knowing how well Sabalenka plays in Australia and how well this matchup suits her, it's pretty evident that I'm advocating for her in this matchup. She just has the style of play needed to beat Kasatkina and not fall into the trap of going to long rallies with her where she can grind opponents down.
I just don't see any way Kasatkina can realistically beat Sabalenka with what they both have shown so far.
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in two sets.
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