The quarterfinals are here! The field has been cut down to eight as players fight for a spot in the semifinals of the Jiangxi Open. Who will rise and who will fall in Nanchang? Read on to find out!
WTA Jiangxi Open Quarterfinal Predictions
Kateryna Kozlova vs Nina Stojanovic
Head to Head: never played
Kateryna Kozlova battles Nina Stojanovic for a spot in the Nanchang semifinals. Kozlova has not dropped a set this tournament, easily beating Dalila Jakupovic in the round of 16. Stojanovic has won 7 matches in a row and 9 of her last 10 matches. This includes a comfortable straight sets win over Samantha Stosur in the previous round.
These two have never played before. Stojanovic is in great form. In addition to the many matches she’s winning, she’s also barely losing any sets. Stojanovic has won 14 sets in a row and 19 of her last 21 sets. Kozlova has only dropped 7 games this tournament, so she is not to be overlooked. However, it’s really hard to pick against Stojanovic at this point. Stojanovic moves on.
Prediction: Stojanovic in 2
Lin Zhu vs Shuai Peng
Head to Head: 1-0 Peng
A place in the Nanchang semifinals is at stake when Lin Zhu takes on Shuai Peng. Zhu has not dropped a set this tournament, but was fortunate in the round of 16, with Shuai Zhang unable to play at her normal level and retiring down 0-6, 0-1. However, Zhu has put together a good recent stretch of play and is a threat to anyone she plays. Peng won a roller coaster match in the previous round, beating Kristyna Pliskova in three sets.
The head to head is 1-0 Peng. Peng won in straight sets in Nanchang in 2017. Peng plays with two hands on both the forehand and the backhand and the precision on her groundstrokes is incredible. Peng also puts great touch on the ball. While Zhu will get a set, expect Peng to move on to the semifinals.
Prediction: Peng in 3
Rebecca Peterson vs Magda Linette
Head to Head: 1-0 Peterson
Rebecca Peterson takes on Magda Linette in the Jiangxi Open quarterfinals. Peterson hasn’t dropped a set this tournament, beating Jana Fett in straight sets in the previous round. Linette has also won every set in this tournament so far, comfortably beating Fangzhou in the round of 16. Linette won her first WTA Tour (above $125k level) tournament this summer in the Bronx.
Peterson leads the head to head 1-0, having beaten Linette in Strasbourg this year in three sets. Both players had successful North American hard court seasons and brought their good form to the Jiangxi Open. This match will come down to who is more consistent from the baseline and who can establish better court positioning. While Peterson got the better of Linette earlier this season, Linette is currently playing a little better lately and should reverse that Strasbourg results. Linette advances.
Prediction: Linette in 3
Elena Rybakina vs Viktorija Golubic
Head to Head: never played
A place in the Jiangxi Open semifinals is on the line when Elena Rybakina battles Viktorija Golubic. Rybakina survived Xinyu Wang serving for the first set twice and got the straight sets win to reach the quarterfinals. Golubic won a topsy-turvy match against Lara Arruabarrena to advance to the quarterinals.
These two have never played before. Rybakina will be looking to step up in the court and play with the controlled aggression that has seen her get as high as World No. 61 in late July. Golubic is a very crafty player and she will try to get the ball out of the Rybakina strike zone. This should be a close match, but expect Rybakina to hit with the controlled aggression needed to beat Golubic.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
