Storm Sanders vs Hailey Baptiste Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA Australian Open

Prediction published on 19/01/2026, 20:49  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 19/01/2026 at 20:55 in Tennis Predictions

Storm Sanders will be looking to maintain her 100% start to the year when she takes on Hailey Baptiste next at the Australian Open. The winner of their second career meeting will play Cori Gauff or Olga Danilovic in the third round. Below is our prediction of this match.

Sanders is having an exciting start to the season and will be confident of winning this round. The Australian hasn’t lost any of her five matches to start the year.

She won her only singles tie at the United Cup before arriving in Melbourne, where she has won four matches on the trot. This hot streak has catapulted the 31-year-old a massive 122 places in the live ranking to 245th place.

Sanders won in straight sets against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round.

Hailey Baptiste defeated Hunter in their only other encounter. This was in the qualifying rounds at last year’s edition in Rome. She will hope for a similar outcome as she seeks to offset a slow start to the year.

Baptiste arrived in Melbourne, where she has never progressed past the second round, after back-to-back losses to start the season. She was able to earn her first win, but it did not come easily as she battled through three sets against lucky loser Taylor Townsend.

The win has nudged her 11 places to 59th in the live ranking.