The Pick: Aryna Sabalenka v. Daria Kasatkina, Australian Open Round 2

After defeating Coco Gauff and pushing Naomi Osaka to the brink at the Gippsland Trophy, many expected Katie Boulter to upset Daria Kasatkina in the first round of the Australian Open. The Russian ultimately had other plans for the Brit and won, 6-1, 6-4, to set up an exciting second-round clash with one of the hottest players on the WTA tour, Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka strung together 15 straight wins through championship runs in Ostrava, Linz and Abu Dhabi before returning to earth in her Gippsland Trophy opening match falling to an always-dangerous Kaia Kanepi in three sets. While Sabalenka is still a hefty -375 favorite according to the oddsmakers, Kasatkina’s spin and variety is the perfect foil to the No. 7 seed's unrelenting aggression and power.

The two have split their head-to-head series, with Kasatkina earning her lone singles victory over the Belarusian on a hard court at the 2019 China Open, while Sabalenka returned the favor last fall at the French Open. Kasatkina won’t have much time to think against Sabalenka, but that’s probably for the best. Her athletic instincts will take control as she hustles around the court. Sabalenka will need to focus on her finishing shots and net-play, because Kasatkina’s defense and shotmaking is spectacular.

Back in Beijing, Sabalenka doesn’t do nearly enough with this put-away, and pays the price.

If Sabalenka is on, there’s not much Kasatkina will be able to do. There is no defense for a shot like this.

Expect the Russian to utilize her variety in an attempt to throw off  Sabalenka's rhythm. Easier said than done, but Kasatkina is one of the few armed with the necessary tools to do so.

While I believe this match will be much closer than the oddsmakers indicate, it’s tough to pick against a player with a 15-1 record in the last three months. Sabalenka’s confidence ought to be overflowing, and even if she drops a set, she should muscle her way to the third round in Melbourne.

The Pick: Aryna Sabalenka