Danielle Collins vs Angelique Kerber Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Australian Open

Prediction published on 15/01/2024, 07:25  by Daniel Ngulu in Tennis Predictions

Angelique Kerber is back at the Australian Open after a long hiatus and will battle unseeded Danielle Collins to begin the tournament. The two will battle in the first round with the winner going on to play either Iga Swiatek or Sofia Kenin next. Danielle Collins has never lost a first-round match in Melbourne and will want to keep this streak going. The American is in her sixth successive main draw appearance here. She finished as runner-up in 2022 to record her best-ever result here. Collins also made the semifinals in 2019 and in her path then, defeated Kerber in straight sets. The win saw her tie this series at 1-1 and it remains the last time the two squared off. The 30-year-old is having a poor start to the year and has lost twice in three outings. Now ranked 73rd in the live ranking, the former world number seven lost in the first round in Hobart last time out.

Angelique Kerber is also having a poor start to the season. She has lost four of her five matches and the time away from the court has shown. Kerber missed the entirety of last season and was last on the court in July 2022. The time away was due to the birth of her first child. Kerber is a former Melbourne champion, winning the title in an exceptional 2016 campaign that also saw her triumph at the US Open. In her last two appearances here, however, she has been eliminated in the first round. With how she has started the year, another early exit could be on the cards for the German. The 35-year-old former world number one is currently ranked 604th in the live ranking.