Aryna Sabalenka vs Ella Seidel: 2024 Australian Open - Preview & Prediction
WTA
Australian Open defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will kick off her 2024 campaign by taking on rising talent Ella Seidel from Germany.
The crowning moment of Aryna Sabalenka's career happened in January last year when she went all the way in Melbourne. She faced Elena Rybakina in the final and overcame a slow start to win the match 4-6 6-3 6-4.
It was a wonderful moment for Sabalenka, who failed to win her second major in 2023 but is hopeful of it happening in 2024. This year's first campaign will begin against a tricky player, Ella Seidel, who won three matches in the qualifiers en route to the main draw.
Sabalenka's own preparation was pretty good as she made the Brisbane International final even though she lost to Rybakina in the final 6-0 6-3.
Head-to-head:
As Seidel is an emerging player, they haven't played so far, but we know a few things about them. We know that Sabalenka is a hell of a player who does a lot of damage on these types of courts.
She unleashes power like no other, and if she can keep her serve under control, then it's really tough. Seidel is a pretty decent player who will do some damage this year, but that likely won't happen here. She lacks the power and, most importantly, the experience of knowing how to overcome that.
| Aryna Sabalenka | Ella Seidel | |
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 2 | Rank | 172 |
| 25 | Age | 18 |
| 4-1 | 2024 W/L | 6-1 |
| 364-175 | Career W/L | 72-40 |
Prediction:
This match will likely feature rallies that the Belarusian dominates. The outcome of the match will largely depend on how much she dominates. If she's all over the place, we might see a surprise of sorts.
If she's pretty stable with it, then we should see her win the match. Seidel will face a lot of pressure, meaning she needs to serve as well as possible. Even so, the match is on Sabalenka's racquet.
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in two sets.
