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Match Details
Fixture: Victoria Azarenka vs Amanda Anisimova
Date: February 9, 2025
Tournament: Qatar Open 2025
Round: First Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Doha, Qatar
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard (Outdoor)
Prize Money: $3,654,963
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports
Victoria Azarenka vs Amanda Anisimova preview
Former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka will take on Amanda Anisimova in the first round of the Qatar Open 2025.
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Azarenka started the new season at the Brisbane International. She received a bye into the second round, where she rallied from a set down to beat Aussie teen Maya Joint 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4. She was then upset by Marie Bouzkova in straight sets in the third round.
Azarenka then headed to Melbourne for the Australian Open, where she won both of her Major titles in the past. She had performed quite well there in the last few years, with a semifinal finish in 2023 squeezed in between a couple of fourth-round appearances. However, she was stunned by Lucia Bronzetti in the first round this year.
Anisimova fell to compatriot Alycia Parks in the first round of the ASB Classic, her first tournament of the year. She then reached the last eight at the Hobart International but withdrew prior to the match due to an injury.
Anismova advanced to the fourth round of the Melbourne Major last year and hoped for another deep run this year. She started with a routine win over Maria Lourdes Carle but went down to Emma Raducanu in the second round. She was scheduled to participate in the Singapore Open after that but withdrew from the tournament at the last minute.
Victoria Azarenka vs Amanda Anisimova head-to-head
Their rivalry is currently tied at 1-1. Azarenka won their previous encounter at the Dubai Tennis Championships 2023 in three sets.
Victoria Azarenka vs Amanda Anisimova odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Victoria Azarenka vs Amanda Anisimova prediction
Neither player is off to a hot start this year. Azarenka has a 1-2 record, while Anisimova has a 3-2 record thus far. The Belarusian won back-to-back Qatar Open titles in 2012 and 2013. She would return nearly a decade later and withdrew before her second-round match in 2022, and made the quarterfinals last year. She has a 14-1 record at the venue.
Anisimova's best result at the Qatar Open has been a third-round showing in 2020, and she didn't compete here last year. While she does have a win over Azarenka, it came on clay, and she lost their only meeting on hardcourts. Both are in desperate need of a win to garner some momentum for the remainder of the hardcourt swing.
Azarenka's results have declined in recent months, and she hasn't reached a quarterfinal since last August. Anisimova had a big result around the same time with a runner-up finish at the Canadian Open, and has been inconsistent since then. This match is a toss-up based on their current form, though the American has played slightly better than her rival this year, which makes her the favorite to win this clash.
Pick: Amanda Anisimova to win in three sets.
