2021 Wimbledon Championships First Round – Monica Niculescu vs Aryna Sabalenka Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Monica Niculescu vs Aryna Sabalenka taking place? Monica Niculescu vs Aryna Sabalenka will take place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon, England
When is Monica Niculescu vs Aryna Sabalenka on and what time does it start? Monica Niculescu vs Aryna Sabalenka will take place on Monday 28th June, 2021 – not before 13:00 (UK) / 08:00 (US EST)
What surface is Monica Niculescu vs Aryna Sabalenka being played on? Monica Niculescu vs Aryna Sabalenka will be played on an outdoor grass court
Where can I get tickets for Monica Niculescu vs Aryna Sabalenka? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Monica Niculescu vs Aryna Sabalenka
What channel is Monica Niculescu vs Aryna Sabalenka on? Coverage of Wimbledon is shared between BBC and Eurosport
Where can I stream Monica Niculescu vs Aryna Sabalenka? If televised on BBC, this match can be streamed live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website. If the match is televised on Eurosport, subscribers can stream the match live on Eurosport Player
THE LOWDOWN
MONICA NICULECU
33-year-old Monica Niculescu drew some winnable matches in the qualifying rounds but still did well to come through without dropping a set. The Romanian plays mostly in doubles these days but she reached a career-high of 28th in the WTA world rankings back in 2012. Her best Grand Slam results came as round of 16 exits at the US Open in 2011 and Wimbledon in 2015. Niculescu has three titles to her name and did reach a grass final at the Nottingham Open in 2015 in the Singles but, notably, she made the final of Wimbledon in the Women’s Doubles in 2017.
ARYNA SABALENKA
World number four Aryna Sabalenka was the first seed at the Eastbourne International but she fell at the quarter-final stage to Camila Giorgi in a frustrating result. The 23-year-old won her first Masters title at the Madrid Open earlier this season but she has been excellent across all surfaces this year and last. The Belarusian added Madrid and the Abu Dhabi Open to her total 10 career WTA titles with a superb record of 31-11 for 2021. Sabalenka has reached the round of 16 at both the Australian Open and US Open for her best showings at Grand Slams so far.
THE PREDICTION
World number four Aryna Sabalenka has fallen away in back-to-back grass tournaments in which she was seeded first and there is reason to doubt her ability to string seven performances together for a Grand Slam win. The 23-year-old is still young and so powerful but opponents have found a way through her if they weather the storms. Sabalenka got the better of Niculescu via straight sets in their only previous meeting way back in 2017 at the Shenzhen Open and this should be another straightforward contest. The Belarusian has a lot to prove this fortnight and she can get started with a straight-sets win here.
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