2022 Melbourne Summer Set – First Round– Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet on and what time does it start? Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet will take place on Tuesday 4th January, 2022 – not before 01:15 (UK)
Where is Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet taking place? Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet will take place at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia
What surface is Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet being played on? Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet
What channel is Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet on? Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet will be televised live on the Amazon Prime Video app on Smart TVs
Where can I stream Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream Naomi Osaka vs Alize Cornet live on Prime Video
THE PREDICTION
24-year-old Naomi Osaka is the defending Australian Open champion from 2021 which feels like a million years ago. The current world number 13 played just 24 times last season, citing suffering with mental health amongst other issues for her stepping away from the game at several periods of the year. After speaking out about player welfare, namely the difficulties with immediate post-match interviews for some players, an unsavoury media furore only made her point more viable as she dropped out of Roland-Garros to avoid further scrutiny.
The tennis world hopes that one of the games’ most vital stars can return to the sport in 2022 refreshed and ready to challenge Ash Barty for the world number one spot. By an odd trick of fate she faces Alize Cornet in her first match of the season for a second-consecutive year. An in-form Osaka beat Cornet in straight sets this time last year in Melbourne but the lack of competitive match practice may see the Frenchwoman gain revenge here. All the uncertainty around Osaka makes taking Cornet to win at least a set seem a reasonable move and yet Osaka is powerful enough to just turn up and start blasting to victory if she wants to.
