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2019 Hopman Cup Australia vs Germany RAC Arena, Perth, Western Australia Matthew Ebden vs Alexander Zverev |
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Ashleigh Barty and Angelique Kerber will renew their rivalry at the Hopman Cup as Australia and Germany vie for a place in the final. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of the first rubber in this tie from 8:30pm (AEDT).
While Switzerland have booked their place in the final out of Group B, Australia and Germany are yet to lose a tie in Group A, having both beaten France and Spain.
It means the equation is simple. The winner of this tie will be going through to the final tomorrow night.
With Alexander Zverev expected to beat Matthew Ebden in the men’s singles following this match, it means the pressure is lumped onto the shoulders of Barty to get Australia off to a winning start.
The world No.15 has been in great form over her two matches in Perth so far and it’s starting to have fans dreaming of a deep run at the Australian Open.
She will need to turn her attention to Kerber first though, with the head-to-head record between the duo split at two apiece in their four matches over the last two years.
The last three of those matches have been decided in straight sets, with Barty beating Kerber in Wuhan last year during a dominant display.
The Aussie has continued the form which won the WTA Elite Trophy at the end of last season, beating Alize Cornet and Garbine Muguruza in straight sets.
The victory over Muguruza was particularly impressive. Her serving was rated as one of the best on tour last year and it was outstanding against Muguruza, up around 75 per cent.
That, combined with her excellent court movement, allowed a straight-sets win over a former grand slam champion who didn’t play a bad game by any stretch of the imagination.
Kerber has also had a pair of victories over Cornet and Muguruza, however, both took three sets and she has drifted in and out of games a little too much.
When she has been playing well, she has looked unbeatable with her court movement, excellent defence around the back and positioning.
However, the issues which have plagued Kerber before – her lack of power and a big serve – have popped up again. They did so against Muguruza and will certainly do against someone of Barty’s talents.
She is top ten in the world for a reason, but hasn’t looked quite her best throughout the Hopman Cup despite the victories.
Prediction
Barty looks to be in the form of her life at the start of the new summer and while this will be her biggest test yet, she should continue her winning run and get Australia off to a good start in this crucial tie.
Barty in three sets.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of this Hopman Cup match from 8:30pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
Start time: 8:30pm (AEDT)
Venue: RAC Arena, Perth, Western Australia
TV: Live, 9Gem
Online: Live, 9Now
Overall record: Played 4, Barty 2, Kerber 2
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