2021 Australian Open Quarter-Final – Hsieh Su-wei vs Naomi Osaka Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Hsieh Su-wei vs Naomi Osaka taking place? Melbourne Park, Melbourne
When is Hsieh Su-wei vs Naomi Osaka on and what time does it start? Tuesday 16th February, 2021 – not before 01:30 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Hsieh Su-wei vs Naomi Osaka? Click here to reach the official 2021 Australian Open ticket selection
What channel is Hsieh Su-wei vs Naomi Osaka on? The 2021 Australian Open will be televised on Eurosport so it is worth checking their schedule for this specific match
Where can I stream Hsieh Su-wei vs Naomi Osaka in the UK? Sky customers can stream this match on the Sky Go app. Alternatively, the match can be streamed to subscribers of Eurosport Player, either on the official website or as an add-on to an Amazon Prime subscription
THE LOWDOWN
HSIEH SU-WEI
- 35-year-old Su-Wei Hsieh became the oldest player to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in the open era when she beat the Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova on Sunday.
- Though Vondrousova was admittedly feeling the effects of an injury throughout their round of 16 match, Su-Wei Hsieh has more than deserved her place here with previous round wins over eight-seed Bianca Andreescu and Sara Errani.
- The world number 71 has beaten Naomi Osaka once before back in a three-set match at the 2019 Miami Open when Osaka was world number one.
NAOMI OSAKA
- World number three Naomi Osaka was part of a high-quality battle with Garbine Muguruza in the round of 16 at the Australian Open, conceding the first set before coming back to win in three.
- Osaka is a former champion here at the Australian Open as she beat Petra Kvitova in the 2019 final and as a three-time Grand Slam champion she has never lost a major after reaching the quarter-finals.
- The 23-year-old dropped her first set of the tournament so far to the 14th seed Muguruza last time out but holds a healthy 4-1 head-to-head record against her next opponent Su-Wei Hsieh.
THE PREDICTION
Su-Wei Hsieh’s laidback approach to her tennis career is a joy to behold and she has made history by making her debut at this stage of a Grand Slam at the age of 35. She plays precise, free-flowing tennis that can often rely on her opponent’s poor decision making to get results and that style, especially now without crowds, would get the better of many a player on tour here. However, the overriding stat in the Women’s draw now is that Naomi Osaka has never lost at a Grand Slam after reaching this stage of the tournament. She was in great shape throughout a tough three-set match with Garbine Muguruza and dialled-in at just the right time to see out the decider. In this mood, Osaka should be the favourite for the tournament and she can overpower her opponent here to win in straight sets.
