With the Asian swing now underway in earnest, the WTA tour is in Seoul for the 2019 Korea Open. On day two, a number of the top seeds are in action with Wimbledon quarterfinalist Karolina Muchova set to take on Belgium’s Alison Uytvanck and top seed Maria Sakkari up against Patricia Maria Tig of Romania. But who will book their place in the quarterfinals?
Korea Open Day Two Predictions
Polona Hercog vs Ana Bogdan
Head-to-head: Hercog 1-0 Bogdan
This match should make for an entertaining clash between two experienced professionals. Indeed, it’s a mark of how long both women have been competing in the higher echelons of the women’s game that their last clash came in 2009 in Italy, with Hercog winning 4-6 6-4 6-1 on the clay courts in Biella. But the Slovenian may struggle to repeat that result. Her form has faltered over the past few months, whilst Bogdan should be feeling confident after storming through the qualifying. She will almost certainly have to work harder for victory in the main draw, but if she keeps her composure, she should have enough to reach the second round.
Prediction: Bogdan in 3
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Ajla Tomljanovic vs Stefanie Voegele
Head-to-head: Tomljanovic 3-1 Voegele
It is hard to escape the feeling that Ajla Tomljanovic will be slightly disappointed with how her season has turned out. The Australian is a fine player, but she has struggled to consistently make an impact in 2019. However, she began to put that to rights last week in Zhengzhou, where she reached the semifinals, though she was outclassed there by Karolina Pliskova. Nonetheless, if she can take the momentum she generated in China into the Korea Open, she should prove too strong for Switzerland’s Stefanie Voegele, who she has not lost to since 2013.
Prediction: Tomljanovic in 2
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Paula Badosa Gibert vs Jil Teichmann
Head-to-head: first meeting
Paula Badosa Gibert had a fine clay-court season, albeit largely at ITF-level, but struggled to make a smooth transition to the hard courts of North America, despite some good results, not least a run through the US Open qualifying. Jil Teichmann too has played indifferently on the hard courts and, unlike Badosa Gibert, is playing her first event of the Asian Swing. This looks destined to be a close contest, if not perhaps one high on quality. But Badosa Gibert has a marginally better record on hard courts so far this season and so may just edge this contest.
Prediction: Badosa Gibert in 3
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Priscilla Hon vs Mihaela Buzarnescu
Head-to-head: first meeting
2019 has been something of a breakthrough year for Australia’s Priscilla Hon, one she will surely be eager to keep going at the Korea Open after coming through the qualifying. But she will be in for a tough test up against the experienced Mihaela Buzarnescu. Though the Romanian has not quite managed to live up to her sterling 2018, it has been a solid enough year for the world #101. And she found a rich vein of form in Hiroshima, reaching the semifinals. But the nature of her 6-4 0-6 3-6 defeat to eventual champion Nao Hibino may be hard to recover from and Hon looks to be well-placed to take advantage.
Prediction: Hon in 3
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