The Australian Open women's final takes place in Melbourne on Saturday morning where reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka is a red-hot favourite to complete a successful title defence at the expense of China's Qinwen Zheng.
Sabalenka, who came from behind to defeat Elena Rybakina in last season's finale on the Rod Laver Arena, has barely put a foot wrong in the 2024 event, chalking up six 2-0 wins including when gaining revenge over Coco Gauff in the semi-finals.
Zheng has profited from the early exits of a number of high-profile WTA stars in the top half of the women's draw, most notably Rybakina and Iga Swiatek, and she faces a big step up in grade for her first Grand Slam final.
- Aryna Sabalenka to win & under 19.5 total games
- Under 8.5 total games in first set
- Over 6.5 breaks of serve in the match
Defending Champion Looks Difficult ToStop
These two have met on one previous occasion, at the quarter-final stage of last season's US Open when Sabalenka ran out a dominant 6-1 6-4 winner before going on to lose out to Gauff in the final, and a similar scoreline could well be on the cards.
The Belarusian has looked in ominous form over the last fortnight, dropping just 16 games across her opening five matches before a 7-6 6-4 win over Gauff which could easily have been more comprehensive had she been more clinical at 5-2 up in the first set.
Sabalenka has swept aside some capable opponents in Melbourne, including former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova in the quarter-finals, and now she's setting her sights on Zheng, who will need to perform far better than she did in New York in September.
However, that's easier said than done.
The 21-year-old Chinese player is improving and has taken advantage of her draw, but few people get to reach Grand Slam finals without meeting a member of the world's top 50 and she's now facing a huge step up in class against the world number two.
Sabalenka has been blowing away her rivals and her recent Slam record is phenomenal - she has won 29 of her last 32 matches at the top level. She's playing with more confidence than ever so expect her to claim a victory in a match featuring fewer than 20 games.
ARYNA SABALENKA TO WIN AND UNDER 19.5 TOTAL GAMES
First Set To Be One-Way Traffic
Sabalenka came out firing on all cylinders against Gauff, winning the first two games of their semi-final match for the loss of just one point, and she could make a hot start against Zheng, who is unlikely to have an answer.
Zheng took time to get going against Dayana Yastremska in her semi-final and while she was able to work her way back into the set against the world number 93, who was dealing with an injury, her final opponent is unlikely to be as forgiving.
The Belarusian needed just seven games to win the first set of their US Open tussle so under 8.5 first-set games looks a solid option.
UNDER 8.5 TOTAL GAMES IN FIRST SET
Both Could Prove Vulnerable On Serve
For all Sabalenka's power, she was broken three times by Gauff so Zheng, a solid returner who created 11 break-point opportunities against Yastremska, could find some solace when facing her opponent's serve.
With Sabalenka such a dangerous returner, there is every chance of plenty of breaks, so over 6.5 total breaks is another wager worthy of consideration even if this match has the potential to be a one-sided contest.
OVER 6.5 BREAKS OF SERVE IN MATCH
