Clara Burel vs Emma Navarro Prediction & Betting Tips - Hobart International

Prediction published on 07/01/2024, 10:49  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 07/01/2024 at 11:49 in Tennis Predictions

Second seeded Emma Navarro looks to continue her good start to the new year. The 22-year-old faces unseeded Clara Burel in round one of the Hobart International. For the winner there's a second round match against either qualifer Magdalena Frech or unseeded Sara Sorribes Tormo. Navarro is currently ranked 31st and that's her career high. This time last year the American was down at 149th in the rankings but won five ITF singles titles in 2023, though only two were on hard courts which is the surface this WTA tournament is being played on. Navarro started this year well with a run to the last four of the Auckland Classic. That was despite going a set down to Linda Fruhvirtova in the first round. Seventh seeded Petra Martic was beaten in the last eight before her run was ended by top seed and eventual champion Coco Gauff. 

Clara Burel is 52nd in the rankings and reached the last eight of the Brisbane International last week. 12th seed Anna Kalinskaya was beaten in round two before losing to eighth seeded Victoria Azarenka in the quarter finals. Burel rose four places up the list thanks to that run in Brisbane. Her career high is 51st and a win over Navarro can see her set a new best ranking. The French player does prefer clay and reached a WTA final in Lausanne last year. 2023 ended well for her with a WTA 125 hard court title won in December and a semi-final in Tunisia two months before that. The third round of the US Open was another highlight with her beating Karolina Pliskova before losing to Aryna Sabalenka. They are 1-1 in previous meetings but both matches were played on clay. This could be a tight match but we slightly prefer Navarro to win.