Belinda Bencic (WTA 421) will face Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko (WTA 17) in the starting round of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
09.01.2025, 05:32
09.01.2025, 06:48
SDA
Is this luck of the draw or bad luck? The Latvian Ostapenko occupied exactly the same position at the closing date as Belinda Bencic's protected ranking after the baby break (world number 15). Ostapenko was the first unseeded player ever to win the French Open seven years ago. Bencic and Ostapenko have played each other twice so far. Bencic won their last duel five years ago, also at the Australian Open. Ostapenko won seven years ago in Indian Wells.
In the same section as Bencic and Ostapenko are Naomi Osaka from Japan and the Czech number 20 seed Karolina Muchova.
In the men's draw, the soon-to-be 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka (ATP 158) will be up against the Italian Lorenzo Sonego (ATP 54). Wawrinka won his only duel against the 29-year-old Sonego two years ago on clay in Umag in two sets. The winner of this match could face the Russian number 9 seed Andrei Rublev in the second round.
Dominic Stricker (ATP 298) has a solvable starting task. The 22-year-old from Bern will face Australian James Duckworth, the world number 94, who is ten years his senior.
