Kontaveit, Kanepi Australian Open round one opponents announced
Estonia's women's tennis stars Anett Kontaveit and Kaia Kanepi now know who they will face in round one of the Australian Open, starting in Melbourne on Monday.
Kontaveit, ranked seventh in the world after an incredible rally in form in the second half of 2021, is paired with Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic. Siniakova is ranked 49th in the world.
The pair have met five times before, with the record four to one in favor of the Estonian, including the most recent encounter, in Moscow, which Kontaveit won 6: 3, 6: 3.
The winner wil face either local player Astra Sharma, or world number 41 Clara Tauson (Denmark).
#AusOpen Singles Draw. pic.twitter.com/gyBZigu8LV
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) January 13, 2022
Kanepi faces former world number one Angelique Kerber of Germany, now ranked 17th worldwide.
The record across four previous encounters is two apiece, with Kanepi winning the last face-off in straight sets, also in Australia – in Sydney this time – in 2014.
A meeting with either Czech player Maria Bouzkova or a qualifier still to be announced is the prize for the winner.
The Australian Open starts on the hard courts at Melbourne Park on Monday, January 17. Melbourne time (GMT +11) is nine hours ahead of Tallinn.
Kontaveit is already seeing success in Sydney, and is through to the semi-finals of the WTA Sydney Tennis Classic after Ons Jabeur pulled out due to injury.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Andrew Whyte
