WTA Third Round tips: Anisimova class meets Eala's comeback mission

The third round of this WTA event delivers a fascinating clash between two players hunting redemption after stumbling in their most recent outings. Amanda Anisimova, the world number 10, takes on the 20th-ranked Alexandra Eala at 1:30 pm AEST on Tuesday, and both arrive nursing the sting of last-start defeats.

Anisimova fell to Elina Svitolina on Sunday in straight sets, while Eala's loss to Belinda Bencic on Monday was even more emphatic. The Filipino has won four on the trot before that hiccup, including a stunning takedown of Naomi Osaka. Anisimova's resume speaks louder—174 career wins at 63 per cent, four career titles, and a peak ranking of third in the world—but Eala's recent run suggests she's capable of turning elite scalps when her game clicks.

The two have never met, so this shapes as a genuine unknown. Anisimova's consistency over the journey gives her the favourite's tag on the board, but Eala's four-match winning streak before the Bencic loss hints at a player finding her groove at exactly the right time.

Who takes it?

Anisimova has built a season-to-date record of 18–10, a tick above 64 per cent, and her career body of work dwarfs Eala's 46–45 ledger. The American's experience at the pointy end of draws is the edge here—she's been inside the top ten and knows how to manage the pressure of expectation.

Eala's last five reads like a roller-coaster: four wins in a row across different surfaces and opponents, capped by that Osaka scalp on August 2, before running into Bencic's brick wall on Monday. That loss was comprehensive—the scoreline suggests she managed just four games in one set and got bageled in another—but the four wins beforehand included quality names like Jessica Pegula and Catherine McNally.

Anisimova's recent form is thinner in volume but steadier in quality. She posted two wins before the Svitolina setback, and while she's only played three times in her last five outings, the gaps suggest selective scheduling rather than poor form. The head-to-head ledger is blank, so there's no history to lean on, but the ranking gap and career numbers tilt the yarn in Anisimova's favour.

The market reflects that read—Anisimova sits as favourite, and punters looking for our tennis tips will find the class argument hard to ignore. Eala's ceiling is high, but backing her to pull the upset requires faith that the Bencic loss was an outlier rather than a form correction.

Set Handicap: Can Eala keep it tight?

The Set Handicap line is set at 1.5 sets, with Anisimova laying the start. That's a generous cushion for Eala backers who think the Filipino can pinch a set, even if she can't take the match.

Eala's four-match winning run before Monday included three- and two-set affairs, so she's shown the ability to grind out tight contests. The Bencic loss, though, was a straight-sets pasting, and that form line is the most recent data point we've got. Anisimova's Svitolina defeat was also straight sets, but the scoreline was closer—she managed to push into a tiebreak in one frame.

If Eala can rediscover the form that troubled Pegula and McNally, she's got the weapons to make this a scrap. But the ranking gap and Anisimova's nous in these situations suggest the American will find a way to close out in straights more often than not. The 1.5-set buffer feels like a coin flip rather than a confident lean.

Total Games: How long will this one go?

The Total Games line sits at 21.5, and the story here hinges on whether we get a competitive battle or a procession. Eala's last five matches have ranged from tight three-setters to the Bencic blowout, while Anisimova's recent outings suggest she's capable of wrapping things up efficiently when she's on.

If Eala brings the fight she showed against Pegula—where she forced a deciding set and racked up 19 games across the match—we're looking at a track well over the line. But if the Bencic form repeats, we could see a sub-20 tally as Anisimova rolls through.

The average games count across Eala's last five tilts toward the higher end, especially when she's winning or pushing deep into third sets. Anisimova's matches have been less frequent but suggest a player who can close without unnecessary drama. The 21.5 mark feels like it's pitched right in the middle of those two scenarios, making this one a genuine toss-up for punters chasing value.