Veronika Kudermetova v Katie Boulter: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Katie Boulter has reached round two of the Australian Open for the third time and she faces a tough test against Veronika Kudermetova as she bids to extend her run in Melbourne.

Boulter made history on Tuesday when she became the sixth British player to win a first-round match at this year's Australian Open - a record for the nation in the Open Era.

From a personal standpoint it was a terrific result for Boulter, who will be hoping for better performances on the bigger stages in 2025.

Her reward for the 4-6 6-3 7-5 triumph over Canadian Rebecca Marino is a second-round encounter with Kudermetova - a former Grand Slam quarter-finalist.

The Russian secured her spot in the second round with a thumping 6-1 6-1 win over Olivia Gadecki in the first round and her clash with Boulter should not disappoint in Melbourne.

Veronika Kudermetova v Katie Boulter betting tips and predictions

Katie Boulter to win - 4/5

The match odds suggest this will be a close contest, with Boulter 4/5 to prevail and Kudermetova a 1/1 shot and these two players could indeed push one another to the limit.

But 22nd seed Boulter is the one to back given her strength on hard courts. She played more on the harder surface than any other last season, winning 22 of her 36 matches on it.

She limited preparations for the season's first Grand Slam, but her final tournament of 2024 was also on hard courts and she impressed, reaching the final of the Hong Kong Open before defeat to top seed Diana Shnaider.

In her first match in Melbourne Boulter came up against a determined Marino, who fired down 10 aces in the match, but she edged it in three sets and will be fully focused for this contest.

Kudermetova opened with a 6-1 6-1 undoing of the unseeded Gadecki and will be up for this challenge, but she did not exactly set any warm-up events alight.

She opted to play in both the Brisbane International and Hobart International earlier this month, losing her opener in Brisbane and only making the quarter-finals in Tasmania.

Boulter was not at her best in the first round against Marino and yet she still progressed, so if she can find that bit extra against Kudermetova, she could be a solid selection to win.

Three sets in the match - 11/10

These two players have never faced each other before and their first clash on the WTA tour could be a hard-fought battle.

Boulter lost 15 games against Marino in the first round, with the match going to three sets and, for punters unwilling to settle on a winner, backing this match to go to three sets at 11/10 could hold appeal.

Kudermetova won her opener in Melbourne in style, but her most recent match before this Grand Slam also went the distance against Elise Mertens.

Boulter's return was not up to scratch against Marino, but the British talent did manage six aces herself and this could be a back-and-forth match, meaning the players may be tough to split in each set.

Therefore, a similar betting approach could be to back over 22.5 games in this match at 5/6.

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Veronika Kudermetova v Katie Boulter odds

Veronika Kudermetova - 1/1
Katie Boulter - 4/5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.