I mentioned this in Episode 5 of Eat Sleep Tennis, however it is worth repeating this is a massive couple of weeks in the career of Destanee Aiava.
A couple of wildcards have come along at just the right time for the young Australian, who seems to have struggled over the last couple of years after bursting onto the scene at a young age. Whether it is the increase in intensity or the rigours that come with being part of the international tour, Aiava has struggled to take the next step. The tour suspension may have come at the right time for her, allowing her to reset, play some local UTR tennis and get some confidence-boosting wins under her belt. Now she needs to make the most of her favourable early draw in an WTA level draw, facing Chloe Paquet in round 1.
After finishing 2020 with eight consecutive losses, Paquet managed a hat trick of wins in AO qualifying in Dubai, a much-needed confidence boost going into 2021. It was a welcome change, however her more consistent form over her career has come on indoor hard. In the conditions in Melbourne tomorrow, it should be conducive to Aiava’s liking. She has been working for months in preparation for this tournament, compared to Paquet coming out of quarantine into conditions that are not her favourite.
I am happy to make a 1 unit selection on Aiava here to claim victory.
Suggested Bet
1 unit Aiava to defeat Paquet at $1.71 at Unibet ($1.75 at Pinnacle)