Vice last year, now Bia will be seeded 7 alongside China’s Zhang
Photo: Archive
Melbourne, Australia) – The two Brazilian representatives in the Australian Open doubles draw ended up falling on the same side of the draw, but Beatriz Haddad Maia and São Paulo’s Luisa Stefani will only be able to face each other in a possible semi-final. The first plays in Melbourne alongside the Chinese Shuai Zhan and the second with the North American Caty McNally.
Seeded 7, Bia and Zhang will have a very difficult start ahead of them, facing North American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Canadian Leylah Fernandez. Going through the first challenge, they must cross the Czechs Marketa Vondrousova and Miriam Kolodziejova. In the eighth, they can paint the North American Nicole Melichar and the Australian Ellen Perez, ninth favorites.
Runner-up last year alongside Kazakh Anna Danilina, the left-hander from São Paulo has a tough list of possible quarter-final rivals, led by Elise Mertens/Storm Hinter, the fourth-highest-rated duo, but also with Alicja Rosolska/Erin. Routliffe, 14 seeds, and even Kristina Mladenovic’s dangerous partnership with Timea Babos, who have won four Grand Slams together, including two in Australia.
Stefani and McNally will be seeded 15 and will open the campaign against guests Astra Sharma and Jaimee Fourlis. The two shouldn’t have any major problems before the round of 16, where they will have everything to challenge the defending champions and main favorites of this edition of the tournament, the Czechs Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova.
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