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Match Details
Fixture: (WC) Venus Williams vs (WC) Celine Naef
Date: June 12, 2023
Round: 1st Round.
Venue: 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
Category: WTA 250.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: €259,303.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Discovery.
Venus Williams vs Celine Naef preview
Venus Williams will face Celine Naef in what will be a clash of the wildcards at the Libema Open on Monday.
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Williams started her 2023 season at the ASB Classic in Auckland and was drawn against compatriot Katie Volynets in the first round. She beat Volynets in straight sets to set up a second round clash against Zhu Lin.
Williams started the match strongly and won the opening set 6-3. However, the Chinese dominated the second set and won it 6-2 to force the match into a decider. Williams initially had the upper hand in the final set as she led 5-3 but Zhu managed to turn the tables and win 7-5 to book her place in the quarterfinals.
Celine Naef, 17, competed in the girls' singles events at last year's Grand Slams, reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open and the fourth round at Wimbledon. The Swiss has so far only competed on the ITF circuit in the 2023 season, triumphing at a W40 event in Porto while reaching the final of a W60 tournament in Chiasso, Switzerland.
Naef recently entered the qualifying rounds of the French Open and was drawn against Elizabeth Mandlik in her opening match. Naef put on a spirited display in the opening set but the American managed to win it 7-5.
Naef broke in the very first game of the second set but Mandlik won five games on the trot to race to a 5-1 lead. The Swiss showed some resistance but her opponent went on to win the set 6-3 and move on in the qualifiers.
Venus Williams vs Celine Naef head-to-head
The head-to-head between the two is currently 0-0 as they haven't locked horns before.
Venus Williams vs Celine Naef odds
All odds sourced from BETMGM.
Venus Williams vs Celine Naef prediction
World No. 197 Naef is significantly higher than Venus Williams (701) in the WTA rankings. However, the American is among the finest grass-court players of all time and her wealth of experience cannot be ignored, especially considering the fact that her opponent is less than half her age.
Williams was quite effective on her first serve during the ASB Classic, serving five aces and winning 62 out of 96 points (64.58%) from her two fixtures. Her second serve, however, was far from impressive as she served eight double faults and won only 21 out of 53 points.
The American has always adopted an aggressive approach and will probably do the same against Naef to gain the upper hand from the start of the match. However, she also needs to keep a check on her power at times, so as to not gift too many points to the Swiss.
Naef has served six aces in her last three matches and will aim to hit a lot more of those against Williams. The 17-year-old won 83 out of 152 points on her first serve but only clinched 36 out of 78 on her second. The Swiss may be ranked higher but she will have to be at her best in order to get the better of the experienced Williams.
The American has been out of action for several months but her experience might just see her through to the second round.
Pick: Venus Williams to win in three sets.
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