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Match Details
Fixture: Venus Williams vs Lin Zhu
Date: January 5, 2023.
Tournament: ASB Classic 2023
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: ASB Tennis Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $259,303
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | Australia - beIN Sports
Venus Williams vs Lin Zhu preview
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams will aim for a quarterfinal berth at the ASB Classic when she takes on World No. 84 Lin Zhu in the Round of 16 in Auckland, New Zealand, on Thursday.
A 42-year-old Venus Williams turned back the clock on Monday, January 2, when she beat 21-year-old Katie Volynets 7-6(4), 6-2 in the first round. It was the former World No. 1's first victory since a first-round win at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.
Venus played just four tournaments as a wildcard in 2022, losing in the first rounds of them all. It was the only year since her debut in 1994 that she failed to win a singles match. As a result, the American legend's ranking has now plummeted to a lowly 1003.
But that couldn't deter one of the greats of the game, nor could a frustrating rain break during the match. Venus returned to complete her triumph over an opponent half her age to begin her 30th year on tour in style.
Venus' next opponent, Lin Zhu, meanwhile, is a 28-year-old Chinese with a career-best world ranking of 58, which she achieved in October last year. She is yet to taste glory on the tour in singles but has a solitary doubles title to her name.
Zhu has never made it past the second round in any of the four Majors.
Zhu's best performance on the tour last year was a quarterfinal appearance at the WTA 250 Hana Bank Open in Korea. She also made the last-four stage at the WTA 125 event in Tampico, Mexico.
Zhu found success on the ITF circuit, where she won three titles.
The World No. 84 needed to dig deep to secure a 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 win over sixth seed Madison Brengle in the first round in Auckland on Monday.
Venus Williams vs Lin Zhu head-to-head
Venus Williams and Lin Zhu have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head is currently tied at 0-0.
Venus Williams vs Lin Zhu odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Venus Williams vs Lin Zhu prediction
Although Venus' serve is considered to be one of her biggest weapons, it has lost its sharpness over the years. The American produced two aces but leaked four double faults in the first round against Volynets.
She could land only 67% of her first serves, but made up for it by winning 80% of her first-serve points. While that was encouraging, it needs to be remembered that she played against an inexperienced opponent, compared to Lin Zhu, whom she will face next.
The 28-year-old has an aggressive style of play and will look to strike it big with her forehand. She converted seven out of 10 break-point opportunities and showed excellent tenacity to grind it out for two hours and 57 minutes against Brengle.
Keeping pace with such a determined and resilient opponent right after a long break might prove to be difficult for the 42-year-old Venus, especially if her serve misfires in crunch situations.
Pick: Lin Zhu to win in three sets.
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