Yarra Valley Classic 2021: Camila Giorgi vs Clara Burel preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Camila Giorgi vs Clara Burel

Date: 1 February 2021

Tournament: Yarra Valley Classic 2021

Round: First round (Round of 64)

Venue: Melbourne, Australia

Category: WTA 500

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $565,530

Match timing: 10.30 am Melbourne time, 5 am IST

Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel

Camila Giorgi vs Clara Burel preview

Camila Giorgi will open her Yarra Valley Classic campaign with a match against talented youngster and former junior No. 1 Clara Burel on Monday.

Giorgi last played a competitive match at the French Open, where she retired midway through her first-round encounter against Martina Trevisan. She then took some time off to deal with her injury.

Clara Burel

Clara Burel had an illustrious career as a junior, to say the least. Besides being the top-ranked singles player in the world, she also won medals at the Youth Olympics and reached two Major finals (both on harcdourt).

The 19-year-old has since managed a successful transition to the senior tour, having made her breakthrough at last year's French Open. Burel made it to the third round at her home Slam, before going down to Zhang Shuai in a close two-set match.

That run would have given Burel a lot of confidence heading into the new season, and she looks set for even bigger results.

Camila Giorgi vs Clara Burel head-to-head

Camila Giorgi will look to dictate the rallies from the baseline

This will be the first career meeting between Camila Giorgi and Clara Burel, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.

Camila Giorgi vs Clara Burel prediction

Camila Giorgi enters this contest as a big favorite on paper, despite he recent break from the game. The Italian has a strong arsenal of groundstrokes and she is likely to be the aggressor in this match.

For Clara Burel, it will be important to protect the serve well. If she can manage to hold her own in some of the early rallies, she could force her opponent into going for too much and giving away points in the form of unforced errors.

The youngster will also need to find a way to adjust to Giorgi's quickfire approach. The Italian is know for her power hitting and she will pounce on the shorter balls, looking to dispatch them for winners. If Burel is not prepared for that, she could face an uphill task right from the start.

Prediction: Camila Giorgi to win in two tight sets.