Andre Gomes

Australian Open - Na Li vs Daniela Hantuchova

Match to be played at 04:30 CET (03:30 GMT)

This is going to be a really interesting matchup, so much that this match would have been my pick for the night match in the Rod Laver Arena today. However, that doesn’t mean I expect this match to be that close. It won’t be a blowout, but I expect Na Li to get a good win in this match. The Chinese player had to save 2 match points in the previous round against Agnes Szavay, but the fact that Na Li was able to get out of that situation and then win 7 games in a row for an easy 6-2 in the third set. That’s the kind of thing that gives confidence to Na Li, a player who has the necessary weapons to be in the Top 10 soon. She is extremely quick, with a good defensive game, something that will annoy Hantuchova, who likes to make the points really short to avoid getting her average at best movement on court exposed. Also Na Li is a good shot maker from both wings, being also able to counter punch really well, something that will also make Hantuchova struggle, due to her lack of a defensive game. Hantuchova leads the head to head by 2-1, but that was the Hantuchova who was in Top 10 and not the Hantuchova who is outside the Top 20 and losing 4 & 2 to Petkovic in Sydney or needing to recover from a 0-4 deficit in the third set to beat Kutuzova in the first round of the Australian Open. Na Li is now clearly the better player of the two and with a favorable matchup, I expect the Chinese player to comfortably win this match and cover the short spread.

Pick: 1 unit (Single Dime) on Na Li (-2 Games) @1.909 on Pinnacle