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Match Details
Fixture: (13) Liudmila Samsonova vs Amanda Anisimova
Date: January 14, 2024
Tournament: Australian Open 2024
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard (Outdoor)
Match timing: (January 14) Approx. 2.30 pm local time, 3.30 am GMT, 9 am IST; (January 13) 10.30 pm ET
Prize Money: A$86,500,000
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Sports & Sony Liv | Canada - TSN & RDS
Liudmila Samsonova vs Amanda Anisimova preview
Thirteenth seed Liudmila Samsonova opens her Australian Open 2024 campaign against former French Open semifinalist Amanda Anisimova on Sunday (January 14).
Samsonova struggled for form following her runner-up finish at Abu Dhabi in February last year. It was only in the second half of the year did the Russian finally find her rhythm back when she made a couple of quarterfinals at Den Bosch and Bad Homburg during the grass season.
The 25-year-old carried the momentum on to hardcourts, reaching the last four at Washington DC before a breathtaking run at the WTA 1000 event in Montreal that saw her finish second-best.
Samsonova once again caught fire at yet another WTA 1000 event, this time in Beijing. This time too, she came up short in the final.
Her exploits towards the end of the season have now placed her at 14th in the world rankings, two spots shy of her career-best 12th.
However, this year, Samsonova is yet to find her feet on the tour so far. She has played a couple of tournaments in Brisbane and Adelaide, succumbing in her first match in both.
Amanda Anisimova, one of the brightest American talents to come out in recent times, meanwhile, will play the Australian Open using special ranking. The 22-year-old took an indefinite break from the sport in May last year, citing burnout.
During her time away, the former world No. 21 joined Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Florida as a student athlete.
She made her return to tennis last week at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where she won her first match against veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. However, she fell soon after to Marie Bouzkova, winning just one game in the entire match.
Currently placed at 339th in the world rankings, Anisimova's next destination is the Australian Open, a Slam where she has made the last 16 in 2019 and 2022.
Liudmila Samsonova vs Amanda Anisimova head-to-head
Anisimova leads 1-0 in the head-to-head. Their sole encounter so far came at Adelaide last year, where the American emerged victorious 7-5, 6-3.
Liudmila Samsonova vs Amanda Anisimova odds
All odds are sourced from BETMGM.
Liudmila Samsonova vs Amanda Anisimova prediction
With both players endowed with explosive power and aggression, this is headed for a contest with some brutal shot-making from the baseline and shorter rallies. Although Samsonova is the higher-ranked player here, her form at the beginning of the season has been poor, to say the least.
Besides, the Russian doesn't boast of a good record on the Melbourne Park courts either. She hasn't made it past the second round of the Australian Open in five attempts so far.
Anisimova holds the edge in this respect, going by her past performances on these courts. With a 60% win percentage at the Australian Open, the American comes into this match as the slight favorite.
That said, she can't be expected to hit top gear right away after such a long hiatus. Anisimova also had some concerns with her back during her second-round thrashing at the hands of Bouzkova at Auckland.
If she has managed to fully recover, the American will grow into the match and is expected to have the last laugh, with her serve and hard-hitting skills earning her the win.
Pick: Amanda Anisimova to win in two tight sets
