Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu – Round of 16 – Preview & Prediction | 2023 Australian Open
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THE FACTS
When is Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu on and what time does it start? Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu will take place on Monday 16th January, 2023 – not before 10:00 (UK)
Where is Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu taking place? Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu will take place at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia
What surface is Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu being played on? Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu
What channel is Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu on in the UK? Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu will be televised live on Eurosport
Where can I stream Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu in the UK? Eurosport subscribers can stream Victoria Azarenka vs Lin Zhu live on their website, while Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match live on Sky Go
THE LOWDOWN
VICTORIA AZARENKA
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka is playing very well in 2023 and she never looked fully beaten in a three-set comeback win over Madison Keys. The 33-year-old won her two Grand Slam titles here in 2012 and 2013 and she clearly enjoyed the champions’ welcome on Friday as the draw opens up enticingly. Azarenka’s most recent of a remarkable 21 WTA titles came at the Western & Southern Masters in 2020 but she was runner-up at Indian Wells as recently as late 2021 and runner-up to Naomi Osaka at the US Open in 2020.
LIN ZHU
28-year-old Lin Zhu began to feature more prominently on the WTA tour towards the end of last season but she would have scarcely believed this first run to the round of 16 at the Australian Open was possible. Lin will set a new career-high WTA world ranking of around 53rd after stunning sixth seed Maria Sakkari in three sets on Friday, her second victory over a seed after ousting Jil Teichmann in comfortable straight sets in the second round.
THE PREDICTION
Lin Zhu had never made it past the second round of a Grand Slam before the Australian Open but the Chinese faces a genuine chance at making the quarter-finals if she can find the intensity that stunned Maria Sakkari on Friday. Two-time former champion Victoria Azarenka remains the clear favourite here but she will have to do the ‘homework’ she suggested after revealing that she had never heard of the Chinese player in her post-match interview. Current world number 24 Azarenka needed a big performance from Karolina Pliskova to oust her from this stage of the US Open last September and she can be backed, tentatively, to come through this test – particularly as Lin Zhu’s element of surprise is now fully spent.
