



On January 14, Anhelina Kalinina and Ons Jabeur will face off in the Australian Open. Here’s my analysis and prediction for this clash of strong competitors—will there be a real battle?
Anhelina Kalinina
The Ukrainian player is known as a solid mid-tier competitor who shouldn’t be underestimated. However, Kalinina has yet to make a major breakthrough at Grand Slam events, having never progressed beyond the third round. At 27 years old, she is currently ranked 48th in the world.
Kalinina showed promising form this season at the Brisbane tournament, defeating Wang and Yuan from China, Schneider from Russia, and Birrell from Australia to reach the semifinals, where she lost to Kudermetova. Expectations for the Australian Open are modest, especially given her tough draw.
Ons Jabeur
Just two years ago, Ons Jabeur was striking fear into her opponents with her high-level tennis, even reaching the No. 2 spot in the world rankings. At her peak, she reached three Grand Slam finals but fell short in all of them.
Last season, Jabeur struggled to perform consistently, slipping out of the top 10 and finishing the year ranked 39th. At 30 years old, it’s unclear whether she can return to her previous level. This year, Jabeur has already participated in two tournaments. In Brisbane, she reached the quarterfinals but lost to Andreeva. In Adelaide, she defeated the experienced Collins before losing in straight sets to the strong Putintseva.
Match Facts
- Kalinina has played five matches this year, winning four of them.
- Jabeur has won four of her six matches this season.
- The odds for this match are as follows: Kalinina to win at 2.79, Jabeur at 1.46.
Head-to-Head
The two players have faced each other twice, with Jabeur winning on both occasions.
Prediction
On paper, Jabeur is the favorite, thanks to her head-to-head advantage and proven potential. The Tunisian’s skill set makes her a formidable opponent when she’s at her best. However, this is a match between two experienced players, and the outcome could go either way. My suggestion is to bet on a total of over 20.5 games in this encounter.