The reward for the winner? A likely second round meeting with 20th seed Karolina Muchova, a former top-10 player and Grand Slam giant.
The player who overcame an injured Osaka in the Auckland final, Clara Tauson, is one of the game’s biggest hitters and opens against 29th seed Linda Noskova, who stunned Swiatek in the third round at AO 2024.
The winner of Tauson-Noskova is projected for a third-round meeting with Sabalenka.
MORE: Sinner avoids rivals, Alcaraz and Zverev in potential clash
Elsewhere, former world No.2 Ons Jabeur landed in the bottom quarter, where she opens against Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina.
A second-round clash awaits against No.31 seed Maria Sakkari, and should Jabeur keep winning, the three-time major…