Aryna Sabalenka vs Jasmine Paolini Predictions, Betting Tips and Odds

In this high-stakes second round of the WTA Finals, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will face fourth-ranked contender Jasmine Paolini, who looked impressive in her first-round win over Elena Rybakina. Both tennis players won confident victories: Sabalenka defeated Qinwen Zheng, and Paolini beat Rybakina. This will go a long way to show the form and strength of both players under pressure as Group A looks to strengthen.

With six wins in a row, Sabalenka comes into this match in excellent shape, having honed her aggressive baseline play and strong serve. On the other hand, Paolini is a player who can move around the court with speed and tact. It will be a difficult task for her, but she has also shown that she can step up in big moments. This will be a tactical match where more than just points will be up for grabs, as a 2:2 draw promises a very good chance of reaching the semi-finals.

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Match Preview

The 2024 season has been a whirlwind for Aryna Sabalenka, with the Belarusian simply firing on all cylinders to maintain her lead in the WTA rankings. Her first round win here showed why she is the winner of this tournament, with impressive stats and strong momentum retention throughout the tournament. Jasmine Paolini will enter this fight full of confidence after defeating the out-of-shape Rybakina. Italian, she has enough tenacity and consistency to make her a potentially dangerous opponent, capable of destroying even the toughest attacker.

But testing Sabalenka’s firepower against Paolini’s toughness and skill, this Group A contest is more than just a round-robin match. Tactical exchanges driven by the desire to gain a leading position make the battle exciting, point by point.

Tactical Approach

The serve remains one of Sabalenka’s main weapons, who has shown an excellent ability to combine speed with angles. In her last match, she served on 61% of first serves, with an astonishing 94% winning percentage on first serve points, which will be very important against Paolini’s counter-hitting style. Expect Sabalenka to look for short rallies where she can dominate with her forehand. In all likelihood, Sabalenka will target Paolini’s backhand, attempting to overpower the Italian with some aggressive shots from the baseline.

Paolini loves nothing more than to neutralize the world’s toughest strikers, and she does this well with her legs, taking time away from speed. The return game against Rybakina was a rare highlight: she received 31% return on first serve and 42% return on second serve. She’ll have to improve on those numbers if she’s going to quickly take control of the points away from Sabalenka. She would have liked to have had longer rallies and benefited from some inconsistency in Sabalenka’s second serve.

Expert Betting Tips

Thus, Sabalenka will enter this fight as the favorite due to her current form, powerful serve and dominance over the baseline. Based on the statistics from the previous match, it can be concluded that she served consistently and was accurate when it came to keeping her nerves under pressure while saving 100% of her break points. This reliability will always force Paolini to look for a way to break through Sabalenka’s serve and counter her power from the rebound.

Underdog Paolini may have a chance to win if she can neutralize Sabalenka’s serve with deep corner returns and absorb Sabalenka’s power with her court coverage. With a strong second serve and the ability to capitalize on longer rallies, she may be able to exploit any mistakes in Sabalenka’s game. She should avoid falling behind early, however, as Sabalenka is good at closing when she gets ahead.

• Games under 21 with odds of 1.615
• Aryna Sabalenka (-1.5) Sets a handicap with odds of 1.47
• Sabalenka wins with a score of 2-0 at odds of 1.57