Day one at the Tianjin Open saw plenty of exciting action. The great Venus Williams fell after a three-set battle with Rebecca Peterson, whilst China’s Wang Yafan delivered a commanding performance against American Lauren Davis, scoring a 6-0 6-4 win. And there should be plenty to keep fans entertained on day two. But who will come out on top?
Tianjin Open Day Two Predictions
Ons Jabeur vs Jennifer Brady
Head-to-head: Jabeur 0-1 Brady
Jennifer Brady is sitting at world #56, a career high for the 24-year-old. She enjoyed an excellent run at the China Open, coming through the qualifying to reach the third round, beating French Open semifinalist Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys en route, before losing to recent US Open champion Bianca Andreescu. The American is a strong and gritty competitor, whose confidence is building match by match. Ons Jabeur will be well aware of the easy power off the Brady racquet. After a 2-6 2-6 defeat in Cincinnati, the Tunisian will hope to find a way to counter that power. But such is the good form of Brady, it is hard to see any outcome other than a victory for the American.
Prediction: Brady in 2
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Zheng Saisai vs Duan Yingying
Head-to-head: Zheng 2-0 Duan
Zheng Saisai’s brand of tennis isn’t for the faint of heart. Running down one more ball will be the order of the day. Great anticipation and excellent positioning allows Zheng to control the court and wrong foot many opponents. That court-coverage more often than not allows the Chinese to manage her weak serve, although the best players in the women’s game have been able to exploit it regularly. Duan Yingying, however, despite some excellent results in doubles, is far from one of the leading lights in singles. Expect her to compete hard, but for the solid defence of Zheng to prove her undoing.
Prediction: Zheng in 2
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Veronika Kudermetova vs Ajla Tomljanovic
Head-to-head: first meeting
Veronika Kudermetova lifted the doubles trophy at the Wuhan Open playing alongside Duan. The Russian and the Chinese defeated the stellar doubles team of Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka. And that win will surely help Kudermetova as she seeks to break into the upper echelons in singles. Her ability to finish points in the forecourt should serve her well in both disciplines and there could well be parts of her game that catch Tomljanovic off guard at the Tianjin Open.
While Tomljanovic recently made a run to the semis in Zhengzhou, it’s been a rather mediocre season for the Australian. It’s serving numbers which often set the tone for Tomljanovic and those have been middling. So far this season, she has been making 58% of her first serves, winning 66% of those points. Concerningly, double faults far outpace the aces. If the serve is spot on, then Tomljanovic stands a good chance. But it hasn’t often been in 2019.
Prediction: Kudermetova in 3
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Magda Linette vs Christina McHale
Head-to-head: Linette 1-3 McHale
Magda Linette seems to be able to read her opponents well. That doesn’t always translate into victories for the New York Open champion, but she only very rarely looks unprepared when stepping out onto court. And this bout against Christina McHale should be a good one for the Pole who fares better against power than craft. The head-to-head does favour the American, but they have one win apiece on hard courts. And there is no doubt that that Linette is in the better form. She has a solid 24-14 win-loss record on this surface and made an excellent start to her Asian swing after reaching the last eight in Jiangxi and the final in Seoul. Expect her to put a dent in McHale’s head-to-head advantage.
Prediction: Linette in 2
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