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Match Details
Fixture: (30) Leylah Fernandez vs Yuliia Starodubtseva
Date: January 12, 2025
Tournament: Australian Open 2025
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard (Outdoor)
Prize Money: $ 43,608,375
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Sports & Sony Liv
Leylah Fernandez vs Yuliia Starodubtseva preview
30th-seed Leylah Fernandez will start her Australian Open 2025 campaign by facing off against Ukraine's Yuliia Starodubtseva. For Fernandez, 2024 was a middling season as the former Grand Slam finalist could only reach one final at Eastbourne International.
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At the United Cup, the Canadian player registered an impressive 6-4, 6-3 victory over Olympic silver medallist Donna Vekic, but lost the next match 3-6, 2-6 to Coco Gauff.
Fernandez then played at the Adelaide International. She won 6-3, 7-6 (2) against Jodie Anna Burrage and 6-3, 6-1 against Irina-Camelia Begu in the qualifiers to enter the main draw. However, in the main draw the World No. 31 lost 4-6, 6-3, 2-6 to Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round.
Yuliia Starodubtseva did not have a great 2024 season, as the Ukrainian player could not reach a single semifinal on the tour. Her best performance came at the China Open, where she reached the quarterfinal as a qualifier. She lost 6-2, 2-6, 2-6 to Coco Gauff.
Starodubtseva's 2025 season did not get to a good start. At the ASB Classic, the Ukrainian player retired from her first-round match against Jaqueline Cristian. At that time, she was trailing in the match 3-6, 0-2.
Leylah Fernandez vs Yuliia Starodubtseva head-to-head
The head-to-head between the players stands at 0-0 as they have not played each other previously.
Leylah Fernandez vs Yuliia Starodubtseva odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Leylah Fernandez vs Yuliia Starodubtseva prediction
Fernandez has a woeful record at the Australian Open. Coming into the 25th edition as the 30th seed, she has only won two matches in Melbourne so far. However, all of the Canadian's three titles have come on the hard courts. The last hard-court title for her was the 2023 Hong Kong Open where she won 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 against Katerina Siniakova in the final.
Yuliia Starodubtseva is going to play at the Australian Open only for the second time in her career. The Ukrainian has yet to win a title on the WTA Tour but has four hard-court titles on the ITF circuit.
Fernandez is the seeded player and has experience of playing a Major final. That will hold her in good stead and give her an advantage in the upcoming match.
Pick- Fernandez to win in straight sets.
