Day three at the Korea Open in Seoul looks to promise no shortage of entertaining action as ten women are set to battle for a spot in the quarterfinals at this WTA International event. But who will advance and who will fall by the wayside?
WTA Korea Open Day Three Predictions
Anastasia Potapova vs Magda Linette
Head-to-head: Potapova 1-0 Linette
Poland’s Magda Linette has found a rich vein of form of late and she will surely be hoping for a strong end to her 2019 season. But she could face a stern test up against Russian young gun Anastasia Potapova, who won this pair’s only previous meeting earlier this season on the clay in Madrid 1-6 6-4 6-2. Both women made impressive starts to their Korea Open campaigns, with Linette dispatching Irina-Camelia Begu 6-1 6-4 and Potapova also winning comfortably against South Korea’s Han Na-Lae. This match, then, looks to have all the makings of a close contest. But it is hard to argue against Linette’s good form and the Pole should edge this one as a result.
Prediction: Linette in 3
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Ana Bogdan vs Kristie Ahn
Head-to-head: Ahn 1-0 Bogdan
Kristie Ahn backed up her run to the fourth round at the US Open, the first time she had reached the second week at a Major, in fine style by crushing Timea Bacsinszky 6-0 6-0 in the first round in Seoul. If she can carry that sort of form forward, she could be a real threat to go all the way at the Korea Open. But she seems unlikely to find things quite so straightforward against the qualifier Ana Bogdan, who scored an impressive three-set win over sixth seed Polona Hercog in the first round. Their only previous clash was extremely close and this one looks like it could go the distance as well. But expect the red-hot Ahn to be the one who emerges victorious.
Prediction: Ahn in 3
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Kristyna Pliskova vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Head-to-head: first meeting
Kristyna Pliskova, who is playing doubles with her twin Karolina this week, will surely be hoping that she can capture some of the form that took Karolina to the title in Zhengzhou last week. She may well it need up against second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who has had an impressive season. Neither woman encountered much resistance in the first round, although Alexandrova, who faced Belgium’s Greet Minnen, surely had the tougher assignment. And whilst Pliskova has the quality and power to win this match, she all too often struggles to maintain her composure and rein in her power. Of late, Alexandrova has faced no such problems.
Predictions: Alexandrova in 3
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Wang Yafan vs Ysaline Bonaventure
Head-to-head: first meeting
After making a good start to her Korea Open campaign, China’s Wang Yafan will surely be looking to kick on against Ysaline Bonaventure of Belgium. But after battling past Jessica Pegula from a set down in the first round, Bonaventure will have ambitions of her own. But will she be able to live with the Wang’s consistency accuracy off the ground? The available evidence would suggest no. Bonaventure has made some impressive strides, but Wang, the champion in Acapulco in March, is a cut above and should have enough to advance.
Prediction: Wang in 2
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Margarita Gasparyan vs Kirsten Flipkens
Head-to-head: first meeting
This should be a supremely watchable encounter. Margarita Gasparyan won the battle of the one-handed backhands in the first round against Tatjana Maria in straight-sets and that matchup may just have been the perfect preparation for her second-round clash with Kirsten Flipkens. Both Maria and the Belgian are at their best when attacking the net and Gasparyan’s passing shots will have had a good warm-up as a result. So whilst the wily Flipkens, who dismissed Denisa Allertova in the first round, should prove a sterner test, Gasparyan should again have enough to advance.
Prediction: Gasparyan in 3
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