Qualifying has ended and the first full day of main draw play beckons at the WTA Zhengzhou Open. Top players and ITF regulars are already in action, battling for places in the next round. We also have predictions for the rest of the day’s matches.
WTA Zhengzhou Open Day 2 Predictions
Fiona Ferro vs Yang Zhaoxuan
Fiona Ferro’s nemesis in her last two tournaments was Qiang Wang. Wang defeated her in the round of sixteen at the New York Open and in the third round of the US Open. The rankings surging Wang, who fell to Serena Williams in the next round, was pushed by Ferro in the first set to a tiebreak. Yang Zhaoxuan lacks the experience and sharpness of Wang and likely won’t find the game to defeat Ferro whose movement is one of the highlights of her play. Ferro can be vulnerable. She was up a break early in that tightly contested first set she lost against Wang.
Ferro in 2.
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Polona Hercog vs Meiling Wang
Polona Hercog and Meiling Wang have never played each other before. Wang is a feature on the ITF tour where she mainly plays smaller events in China. Hercog, though she has lost in the first round of her two previous tournaments and pulled out of the Cincinnati Masters. She has not been playing her best tennis, but Wang will still have a hard time defeating the Slovenian who has been as high as number 35 in the WTA singles rankings. One of Hercog’s three titles on the WTA tour came in April of this year at the Lugano Ladies Open in Switzerland so even in the recent past she has found her best game.
Hercog in 3.
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Alize Cornet vs Lu Jiajing
Alize Cornet might be ranked close to 60 in the world, but she is an impressive player who, among other accomplishments, boasts a winning head to head record against former world number one and reigning Wimbledon champion, Simona Halep. Cornet should not have any trouble defeating Jiajing Lu. Lu is having her best ever season and reached a career high ranking earlier this year. She also played brilliantly through qualifying to set up her match against Cornet. However, Cornet’s game is too solid and Lu lacks the weapons necessary to cause her any difficulties.
Cornet in 2.
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