Top seed Serena Williams will now face Italian qualifier Camila Giorgi in the first round of the 2020 WTA ASB Classic after her scheduled opponent Svetlana Kuznetsova pulled out due to viral illness. The match will take place on Tuesday, January 7. The match will begin at 4:15 pm local time (4:15 am BST). You can find the Serena Williams v Camila Giorgi live streaming options along with its preview, head to head and tips here.
Looking to watch the Serena Williams v Camila Giorgi live streaming online?
- For tennis fans in the UK, Europe, Australia & elsewhere go to bet365 > Tennis > Live Streaming here* to watch & bet on the ATP & WTA tennis live.
- Also, get all the information on how to buy tennis tickets with our guide here
[the_ad id=”14063″]
*Geo-restrictions apply & pre-funded account needed
Serena Williams v Camila Giorgi Head to Head
Williams and Giorgi have met on four occasions with the veteran American winning in each of those four matches.
Williams Handed Tough Draw on Return to Tennis
Serena Williams was due to face Svetlana Kuznetsova, but that was before the Russian pulled out due to viral illness. Williams will now play Italian qualifier Camila Giorgi.
Serena Williams is 38, and it is only logical that she only plays a limited schedule throughout the year. She played in eight tournaments in 2019, but retired hurt in four of them.
And still, the American came mighty close to achieve a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon and US Open where she reached the finals, but was denied ultimate glory by Simona Halep at SW19 and Bianca Andreescu at Flushing Meadows.
Williams’ decision to play in Auckland raised a few eyebrows, but it is perfect preparation for Melbourne where she will attempt to tie Margaret Court’s aforementioned record. The ASB Classic will enable the former World No.1 to fine-tune her game and aim to win her first title since the 2017 Australian Open.
Serena lost in the second round to Madison Brengle in her previous visit to New Zealand which incidentally was in 2017, the year she went on to win the title down under. Williams teamed up with good friend Caroline Wozniacki in doubles on Monday and they comfortably won in straight sets, a measure of how committed she is to perform at the first Grand Slam of the year.
She has been handed a tough draw though, starting with a meeting against powerful-hitting Italian Camila Giorgi
Giorgi’s Power Could trouble Williams
Camila Giorgi might have lost her last four meetings against Serena, but she could be more dangerous than Kuznetsova. The Italian possesses brute firepower from the baseline and is usually unfazed to paint the lines even with risk of missing.
Giorgi is currently ranked No.99 in the world rankings which is a long way from her career-high ranking of No.26 which she achieved in August 2018.
Despite making a couple of final appearances in Washington and Bronx, she had a relatively terrible 2019 season. Giorgi won only 13 matches all year and suffered 17 defeats. Can she earn a confidence-boosting win on her first outing of 2020?
Serena Williams v Camila Giorgi Predictions & Tips
Williams would have preferred to lock horns with Kuznetsova rather than Giorgi who is usually a pesky customer. Giorgi has lost her last four meetings against Williams, but she did take a set off the American in their last match at Wimbledon. I expect this to be tight, but Williams should sail through.
Tip: Serena Williams to win in three sets: 10/3 (Click here to get these odds with bet365)
You can watch & bet on Williams v Giorgi on Tuesday, January 7 here. Get the latest tennis predictions and tips here.
Be the first to comment