The third round of the Australian Open 2019 will feature the present World No. 1 Simona Halep against the seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.
Watch & bet on Simona Halep v Venus Williams live with bet365 here* on Saturday, January 19. The Venus v Halep match timings will be announced soon.
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Halep Survives Another Major Scare
Halep, who has started this season without a coach, has been finding herself in a pickle ever since she arrived in Melbourne. In the first round, she faced Kaia Kanepi, whom she defeated after losing the first set with 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2.
In the next round, she met the young American Sofia Kenin who created a lot of troubles for the top seed. While Halep won the first set in just half an hour, she lost the second set in a gruelling tie-breaker.
In the final set against Kenin, Halep found herself down a break at 2-4. As the match went by, there were instances of sheer frustration from both the players. But the Romanian dug deep into her experience and broke her adversary’s service in the next game.
She got another break in the penultimate game that ultimately helped her win the set and the match. All in all, Halep won 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4.
Throughout her campaign, however, it appears that Halep has been carrying an injury. After her first round affair against Kanepi, the reigning Italian Open runner-up mentioned that she felt pain in her legs that night. She incurred a similar problem in the second set against Kenin as well.
In the post-match interview, she mentioned that she felt the pain in the leg but cited it to her being tired.
Venus’ Last Australian Open?
Before Venus started the season, there were speculations that this may possibly be her last stint as a professional player. As a result, she will definitely be keen on making this Grand Slam a memorable one.
Both of her matches in Melbourne so far have been three-setters. After defeating Mihaela Buzarnescu 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-2, she met the Frenchwoman Alize Cornet. Over there, the win was fairly easier – Williams won 6-3, 4-6, 6-0.
Venus last won a singles title back in 2016 – the Taiwan Open after Misaki Doi in the final. The very next year, she returned to the top five after becoming the runner-up at the Australian Open and Wimbledon and the WTA Finals. However, last year, her form took a dire hit and she fell out of the top 30.
Simona Halep v Venus Williams Head to Head
The two players have met only five times so far and Halep presently leads 3-2. However, two of those three victories came in their last three encounters.
They most recently met in the third round of the Rogers Cup last year, where the Romanian won 6-2, 6-2.
Halep v Venus – Who Will Win?
It is fair to say that the two players are evenly matched for this fixture. Halep hasn’t been in the best of form in Melbourne and after two physically demanding matches, one has to wonder how far she can carry on, especially if she is carrying an injury. Something similar can be said for Venus as well, who has been troubled on a few instances so far in Melbourne.
This is definitely going to be an entertaining fixture, one where Halep starts as the favourite.
You can watch & bet on Simona Halep v Venus Williams live with bet365 here on Saturday, January 19.
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