Australian Open 2024 Day 2: Women's singles predictions ft. Ons Jabeur vs Yulia Starodubtsewa, Marketa Vondrousova vs Dayana Yastremska

The second day of the Australian Open is going to be action-packed. The proceedings will feature Top 10 players like Ons Jabeur and Marketa Vondrousova opening their campaigns for the first Major tournament of the year.

They will be joined by fellow seeds Ekaterina Alexandrova and Marie Bouzkova. All four of them, however, have tricky first-round opponents. So, they will likely have to be on top of their games to advance to the second round.

Without further ado, let's take a look at how some of their matches at the 2024 Australian Open might go down on Monday (January 15):

#1 Ons Jabeur (2020 Australian Open quarterfinalist) vs Yulia Starodubtsewa

Ons Jabeur is looking for some redemption in 2024

Sixth seed Ons Jabeur didn't play a single tournament in the lead-up to this year's Australian Open. The three-time Major finalist endured a tough 2023 on the WTA Tour, with her injuries affecting her results for a large part of the year. The Tunisian, however, seems to be in good shape now and will look to have a deep run in Melbourne.

Yulia Starodubtsewa, meanwhile, played in the qualifiers to book a place in the main draw of the 2024 Australian Open. The 23-year-old mostly plies her trade on the ITF Circuit, with her most recent title coming in California, USA, last October.

The two players have never met on the WTA Tour. The Ukrainian qualifier will have her hands full with the former World No. 2's crafty game and experience on Monday.

Pick: Jabeur in straight sets.

#2 Marketa Vondrousova vs Dayana Yastremska

Marketa Vondrousova won Wimbledon last year

Reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova also didn't participate in any tune-up events to the Australian Open. The Czech withdrew from her opener at last week's Adelaide International due to a right hip injury.

Dayana Yastremska, on the other hand, went the distance in all three of her victories in the 2024 Australian Open qualifying rounds. The former World No. 21 comes into the first Major of the year with plenty of match practice, having won eight of her last 10 competitive matches.

Vondrousova leads Yastremska by a margin of 2-1 in their head-to-head meetings on the WTA Tour. While the left-handed Vondrousova has a match-up edge over her right-handed opponent, it is pertinent to note that she might not be in top shape.

Yastremska is one of the biggest ball-bashers on the women's tour and can take a big scalp on Monday, provided she doesn't let her focus waver during the important points.

Pick: Yastremska in three sets.

#3 Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Laura Siegemund

Ekaterina Alexandrova prepares to hit a backhand

World No. 21 Ekaterina Alexandrova had a good campaign in Adelaide, beating the likes of Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Rybakina before losing to eventual champion Jelena Ostapenko in the semifinals of the WTA 500 tournament.

Laura Siegemund, meanwhile, reached the last four in Adelaide before she was forced to withdraw with a leg injury. The German veteran has had a few rest days since then, though, which means that she can still give some resistance to her Russian opponent.

Alexandrova leads Siegemund by a margin of 2-0 in their head-to-head meetings on the WTA Tour. Although the 17th seed is yet to reach the second week of the Australian Open, there's no denying that she is a tough player to beat.

The Russian has firepower from both wings and also possesses some nifty footwork. Siegemund doesn't have her younger opponent's groundstrokes, but she gets by with her unorthodox playing style.

Having said that, Siegemund's career is likely in its twilight years, and she may not be able to put up a fight against a seasoned player like Alexandrova.

Pick: Alexandrova in straight sets.

#4 Marie Bouzkova vs Linda Noskova

Linda Noskova retrieves a ball

31st-seeded Marie Bouzkova has never gone past the second round of the Australian Open in her four career appearances. However, the Czech had a respectable season in 2023, arriving in Melbourne with plenty of confidence in her game.

Bouzkova's fellow Czech Linda Noskova, meanwhile, played her first full-tour season last year. The 18-year-old certainly did well considering her lack of experience, finishing as a runner-up in two WTA events. Noskova's form has evidently carried over into 2024, as she reached the semifinals in Brisbane.

Bouzkova leads her younger opponent by a margin of 2-0 in their head-to-head meetings on the WTA Tour. The 25-year-old has dependable, neutral groundstrokes and a reliable first serve. Her opponent, however, is much more dynamic from the baseline and can hit flat winners at a whim.

While Bouzkova certainly has more experience than Noskova, the 18-year-old plays her best tennis when all the chips are down.

Pick: Noskova in three sets.