Women’s Olympic Tennis Second Round – Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka taking place? Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka will take place on Monday 26th July, 2021 at (not before) 03:00 (UK)
Where is Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka taking place? Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka will take place at Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo
What surface is Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka played on? Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka will be played on hard courts
Where can I get tickets for Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka? There are no tickets for Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka as Olympic Tennis will take place without spectators.
What TV channel is Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka on in the UK? Olympic coverage is shared between BBC and Eurosport so it is worth checking their schedules for Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka
Where can I stream Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka in the UK? If Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka is televised on BBC then it can be streamed live on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app. If Viktorija Golubic vs Naomi Osaka is televised on Eurosport then subscribers can stream the match live on Eurosport Player
THE PREDICTION
World number two Naomi Osaka is in many ways the face of Tokyo 2020 and a day after lighting the torch to start the games she got to business with a straight-sets win over Saisai Zheng. The 23-year-old now looks to be a solid favourite to win her first gold medal come this Saturday as world number one Ash Barty was shocked in the first round and she will have to cope with that added pressure. The three-time Grand Slam champion is more than capable of doing so but this second round draw is tougher than it looks against world number 50 Viktorija Golubic. The Swiss enjoyed her best form two weeks ago when she made the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time before defeat to Karolina Pliskova and she has taken that form across to the hard courts of Tokyo with a strong opening win over Maria Osorio Serrano.
With Barty out of the draw it remains to be seen if Osaka will be able to play with more freedom or perhaps occasionally tense up at key moments in this high-pressure week. It will probably be a bit of both but with the hopes of a nation on her shoulders she should be able to come through this tough one as the outright winner.
