Australian Open Day 3 Best Bets, Women’s Predictions for Kalinskaya vs Kartal, Siegemund vs Samsonova

The first round continues on Monday at Melbourne Park, and there are plenty of matches to like from a betting perspective. Let's look at a pair of Australian Open matches below.

Here are my previews and Round 1 Australian Open predictions for Anna Kalinskaya vs. Sonay Kartal and Laura Siegemund vs. Liudmila Samsonova.

Australian Open Women's Predictions, Picks — First Round

Kalinskaya vs Kartal Odds

Kalinskaya, 27 years old and currently ranked 33rd in the WTA, can be considered one of the most talented players of the current generation, even if she has yet to have a truly massive breakout or break into the WTA top 10. She came very close in 2024, reaching World No 11, which was followed by a slight decline.

She plays an aggressive baseline game and uses a variety of strokes to look for sharp angles, often dominating her opponents. While she may not be a global superstar yet, she certainly has the tools to reach the deep stages of Grand Slams.

Kalinskaya started the 2026 season well; although she suffered second-round exits in Brisbane and Adelaide, those losses came against high-caliber opposition.

In Brisbane, she lost a very tight three-setter to Jessica Pegula, and in Adelaide, she was arguably the better player for long stretches against Victoria Mboko, only to lose 6-7 in the deciding set.

If she maintains this level, a deep run in this Grand Slam is entirely possible.

Though not particularly tall, her rival Kartal (24 years old, ranked 63rd) is a powerful athlete. She plays a clean game with few unforced errors, though she currently lacks numerous wins over top-tier opponents. She uses heavy spin and variety, which many opponents find difficult to handle.

Kartal thrives on fast courts and is at her best at home on grass, as evidenced by her fourth-round run at Wimbledon last year, where she defeated Jelena Ostapenko. She also reached the fourth round of Indian Wells and the quarterfinals in Beijing (securing a big win over Mirra Andreeva).

She began 2026 strongly in Auckland, reaching the quarterfinals. The margins between her and the top players are clearly narrowing.

Pick: Kalinskaya ML

Siegemund vs Samsonova Odds

Siegemund has struggled with injuries recently and arrives here after retiring during her match against Vera Zvonareva. Her performance there was modest, and it remains to be seen what kind of physical shape she will be in today.

However, under normal circumstances, Siegemund is a very dangerous player in the early rounds and is capable of pulling off major upsets.

Samsonova is the more solid player and enters the match as the favorite. She possesses a strong first serve, but her second serve is a known vulnerability where she frequently commits double faults.

Her recent statistics support this: in Brisbane, she recorded three double faults against Aliaksandra Sasnovich and seven against Pegula. In Adelaide, during her match against Marketa Vondrousova, she committed 10 double faults.

Consequently, I believe Samsonova will commit at least three double faults today.

Pick: Liudmila Samsonova to Commit 3+ Double Faults