Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka begins her Olympic gold medal bid today when she faces Zheng Saisai at the Ariake Tennis Park Centre Court in a first-round match of the women's singles tournament at Tokyo 2020. Check out everything there is to know about this tennis duel, such as the preview, information, storylines, predictions, odds, and how to watch it in the US.

The 23-year-old Japanese player, who lighted the Olympic Cualdron at the Opening Ceremony, will try to win her first medal at the Summer Olympics. Osaka, who stands second in the WTA Rankings, wants to take the gold before returning to the US and compete in the US Open 2021.

Zheng will try to ruin Osaka's plans and clinch a win to advance in the tournament. However, her greatest hopes are for the women's doubles. The 52nd-ranked Zheng chose to skip Wimbledon 2021 in order to play both singles and doubles at Tokyo 2020 and represent her country, China.

Zheng Saisai vs Naomi Osaka: Match Information

Date: Friday, July 23, 2021
Time: 10:00 PM
Location: Ariake Tennis Park Centre Court, Tokyo

Zheng Saisai vs Naomi Osaka: Time by State in the US

ET: 10:00 PM
CT: 9:00 PM
MT: 8:00 PM
PT: 7:00 PM

Zheng Saisai vs Naomi Osaka: Head-to-Head and Storylines

It will be the fourth time Zheng and Osaka face each other. The Japanese player won the last two meeting, including a 6-2 6-4 victory in the Australia Open 2020. Zheng managed to clinch a victory the first time they played, in 2015.

The second-ranked Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion and the favorite to win gold at the Olympic Games. She is even ahead of World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, according to oddsmakers. Zheng, one the other hand, has only won one singles title in her career.

How to watch or live stream Zheng Saisai vs Naomi Osaka in the US

The match between Zheng Saisai and Naomi Osaka for the first round of the Tokyo 2020 women's singles tennis tournament to be held at the Ariake Tennis Park Centre Court will be broadcast in the US by NBC Olympic Channel.

 

 

Zheng Saisai vs Naomi Osaka: Predictions and Odds

Oddsmakers put the World No. 2 Naomi Osaka as the heavy favorite to win the match and advance to the next round of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. According to DraftKings, the Japanese player has odds of -1200, while it gives Zheng Saisai odds of +600.

  DraftKings
Zheng Saisai +600
Naomi Osaka -1200

* Odds via DraftKings