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The third day of the Australian Open (January 16) is expected to deliver with several top players like Jessica Pegula, Daria Kasatkina and Zheng Qinwen in action. While Pegula and Kasatkina had a good campaign at the tune-up event in Adelaide, Qinwen won two of her three matches at the United Cup.
They will be joined by former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, who is looking for a reversal in fortunes at this year's Melbourne Slam. The 30-year-old American reached the semifinals at the tournament in 2013, but hasn't gone past the first round in her last four appearances.
Without further ado, let's take a look at how some of their matches at the 2024 Australian Open might pan out on Tuesday (January 16):
#1 Jessica Pegula (Australian Open 2023 quarterfinalist) vs Rebecca Marino
Jessica Pegula had a strong finish to her 2023 season, winning a title in Korea and finishing as the runner-up at the WTA Finals in Cancun. The American started this year by reaching the semifinals in Adelaide. However, she withdrew ahead of her match against Daria Kasatkina due to an illness.
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Rebecca Marino, meanwhile, has played the qualifying event at the Australian Open in three of the last four years. The former World No. 38's last tournament campaign before Melbourne came at a WTA Challenger in Canberra, where she lost in the first round after qualifying for the main draw.
The two players have never met on the WTA Tour. While Marino can be a tricky player, Pegula is leagues above her older opponent in terms of athleticism and shotmaking.
Pick: Pegula in straight sets.
#2 Daria Kasatkina vs Peyton Stearns
Daria Kasatkina has had a good start to her 2024 season, reaching the quarterfinals in Brisbane before a runner-up finish in Adelaide. The Russian will be eager to record her first quarterfinal appearance at this year's Australian Open.
Peyton Stearns, meanwhile, announced herself to the world at last year's US Open. The unheralded American won her first three matches without any trouble and led reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova by a set in their fourth-round encounter before the Czech came through in three tough sets.
Kasatkina leads Stearns by a margin of 2-0 in their head-to-head meetings on the WTA Tour. The Russian also has an advantage over Stearns in terms of match practice. While she went deep in Brisbane and Adelaide, her American opponent failed to win a single match in her tune-up to the Australian Open.
Pick: Kasatkina in straight sets.
#3 Zheng Qinwen vs Ashlyn Krueger
Zheng Qinwen enjoyed a good sophomore year on the WTA Tour in 2023, picking up two titles and reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open. The 21-year-old will be looking to achieve new breakthroughs during this season.
Ashlyn Krueger also enjoyed watershed success in 2023, winning two WTA titles in Tokyo and Italy. The 19-year-old American is yet to go past the first round of a Grand Slam tournament. She will be eager to change that this week as she makes her Australian Open singles debut.
The two players have never met on the WTA Tour. Qinwen is far more aggressive in her shotmaking than her American opponent, which will serve her well on the medium-fast courts of Melbourne.
Pick: Qinwen in straight sets.
#4 Sloane Stephens (Former Australian Open semifinalist) vs Olivia Gadecki
Sloane Stephens has failed to win back-to-back matches on the WTA Tour since her quarterfinal run at the Tennis In The Land event last August. While the former World No. 3 has been out of rhythm for a few years now, she can still do well at the Australian Open.
Olivia Gadecki entered the Melbourne Slam on the back of a wildcard from the tournament organizers. The 21-year-old won the biggest title of her career last year, beating fellow Aussie Arina Rodionova to triumph at the ITF $40k event in Portugal.
The two players have never met on the WTA Tour. While Stephens has one of the best forehands on the women's circuit, the fledgling consistency of the shot often costs her matches. Gadecki, on the other hand, has a stable counterpunching game, relying on her opponents' errors.
Buoyed by the local Melbourne crowd, Gadecki can spring up a huge upset on the 2017 US Open champion on Tuesday.
Pick: Gadecki in three sets.
