Raducanu Headlines Aussie Open Round Two

Also featured on the night session is Simon Halep vs Beatriz Haddad Maia and Shaui Zhang vs Elena Rybakina.

Emma Raducanu vs Danka Kovinic

It hasn’t been easy for Emma Raducanu following her US Open triumph, but she made it past her first-round opponent Sloane Stephens in fine style.

Stephens isn’t an easy first-round opponent, but she got the job done with a dominating final set. Raducanu hit plenty of winners, which was the main reason for her winning at Flushing Meadows in 2021.

“I definitely wanted to go out there and start playing aggressively and start putting my game on the court,” Raducanu told The Guardian. “I felt that I was just really enjoying my time here, especially like going out to practise earlier, I had quite a few people watching. So I was really enjoying it and I think the crowd that stayed pretty late, we were having a good time. I was feeding off that, for sure.”

She now faces Danka Kovinic, who won her first-round match 2-1. She was the slight sportsbook underdog to win, but it doesn’t get any easier.

We expect Raducanu to have little problem putting away the challenger, and despite still experiencing growing pains, she is a rising star of the game.

Bettors get -500 for a straight-up win, but the -5½ games market is where you can find value. She should clean up Kovinic easily, so take Raducanu -5½.

Pick: Emma Raducanu -5½

Shaui Zhang vs Elena Rybakina

We think Elena Rybakina is set for a deep run at the Australian Open, but she’ll need to play better than her first-round match.

The Kazakhstani dropped a set against a relatively unknown player, so a more focused performance is needed against the dangerous Shaui Zhang, who won her opening match in straight sets.

Zhang was the +220 underdog against Viktorjia Golubic, so it was an outstanding upset victory. However, Rybakina has dominated in two previous meetings.

She has yet to drop a set and that’s why we like her chances. Betting online markets have Rybakina at -5½ games and we predict a 6-2, 6-3 win, so she should cover the spread comfortably.

Pick: Elena Rybakina -5½ (-115)

Simon Halep vs Beatriz Haddad Maia

Bookmakers have set a big line for Simon Halep vs Beatriz Haddad Maia and we’re favoring the underdog to cover the spread.

They have met only once with Halep winning in straight sets, but she won by only five games. The current line is six games, so the Brazilian could keep it tight and build on her opening-round win.

She scored a 2-1 victory over a lower-ranked opponent and now she takes on a former top-ranked player. However, Halep hasn’t been as dominant in recent years.

Backing a +750 underdog to cover the spread isn’t easy, but we can’t see Halep running away with this match.

Pick: Beatriz Haddad Maia +6 (Ev)