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This round 2 matchup between 2 modest players, both ranked outside the top 80 is a great opportunity for either of them to kick-start their career. Whoever comes out as a winner from this match will shoot up the rankings so the stakes for both players are high. Below is a preview of this match and some betting predictions.
These odds from Ladbrokes were correct at the time of writing
Kimberly Birrell vs Linda Fruhvirtova – Match Predictions
Contents
The world number 82 Fruhvirtova has slight edge as her style is better suited for hard courts. Howewver, the local girl and wild card recipient world number 167 Birrell already caused a major upset in round 1 and she will be hungry for more. Now a closer look at our tennis predictions for this game:
Fruhvirtova to win 2:0
Fruhvirtova had a very solid display in the opening round against another Aussie with a wild card. She dominated against Fourlis and won 6-0, 6-4. Built to play on hard courts Fruhvirtova had seen all of her main successes so far achieved on that surface.
The 17-year-old Czech has powerful ground strokes and pretty solid first serve. She is growing into a vicious serve returner too. That’s why we think that she will grab this excellent opportunity to reach round 3 of her first ever Australian Open. If she dominates as she did in round 1 against a similar opponent she should win cleanly again.
Fruhvirtova to win 2:1
The one concern regarding the 17-year-old Fruhvirtova is that this is only her second Grand Slam and she lacks experience. For that reason we consider the possibility that she might drop a set against an Aussie that is bound to be receiving loud support from the stands.
Birrell is pumped up by her stunning round 1 win and she might make a fast start in the match. We expect she will struggle to maintain that level of intensity for more than 1 set though.
Kimberly Birrell vs Linda Fruhvirtova Preview
After making our Birrell vs Fruhvirtova predictions it’s time to take a closer look at the two players individually as they enter Australian Open 2023:
Kimberly Birrell
Birrell has never been inside the world top 150 and yet in round 1 she caused a major upset when coming from a set down to defeat the 31st seed Kanepi 3-6, 7-6, 6-1. The Aussie saved match points in set 2 and certainly had luck on her side. She also spent huge amount of energy in order to triumph.
Her inconsistencies mean she rarely features on the WTA calendar, with most of her matches in lesser tournaments. She hasn’t had much success in those lately too though. Her highest ever ranking of 154 was achieved way back in early 2019.
Being an Australian has its advantages though and this is third Grand Slam for Birrell. All 3 via wild cards. She made it to round 3 in 2019 (her best year), but lost in the opening rounds both in 2016 and 2021.
Linda Fruhvirtova
Fruhvirtova had a breakthrough year in 2022, after struggling to adapt to the tour in her first season in 2021. She finally broke into the top 100 last summer and has been ever present there since. Also in September she won her maiden WTA title when triumphing on the hard courts of Chennai.
She played her first main draw of a Grand Slam on the 2022 US Open where she reached round 2. There she lost against ex-number 1 Muguruza.
Fruhvirtova opted to play a single match in 2023 before the Australian Open started. She lost in 3 sets against Raducanu in Adelaide. In round 1 of the 2023 Australian Open she dealt competently with another wild card recipient Fourlis. She won 6-0, 6-4 without much bother.
Kimberly Birrell vs Linda Fruhvirtova Head to Head
This will be the first ever meeting between the players.
Kimberly Birrell vs Linda Fruhvirtova Match Details
- When will the match start? The match is scheduled to start at 04:00 am GMT on Thursday, January 19th.
- On which court will the match be played? The match will be played on Kia Arena in Melbourne.
- Where to watch AO 2023 in UK? You can watch Australian Open on Eurosport broadcast and online, or stream it on Discovery+.
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