We move into quarterfinal action at the Tianjin Open. The last Chinese woman standing is Wang Yafan, as compatriots Peng Shuai and seventh seed Zheng Saisai were eliminated in the Round of 16. The #2 seed Wang Qiang was handed a shocking loss by Heather Watson. Can Wang carry the flag for her country or will she succumb to Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson? Read on to find out our predictions for who’ll claim the Tianjin Open semifinal spots.
Tianjin Open Quarterfinal Predictions
Wang Yafan vs Rebecca Peterson
Head to head: Wang 0-1 Peterson
Rebecca Peterson’s Tianjin success comes from her strong return of serve. Indeed, the Swede has broken her opponent’s serve on nine occasions. That will be a pain point for Wang Yafan who is succeeding on 58% of her first deliveries. Yet, Wang continues to win despite an errant serve.
Wang has moved into her sixth quarterfinal of the season. Perhaps her increasing confidence coming to net is Wang’s success factor. Powerful baseline rallies and ending points with cleverly angled volleys gave Wang the edge in her second round bout against defending champion Caroline Garcia. Look for Wang to continue her bold shotmaking to send off the Swede.
Prediction: Wang in 3
Ons Jabeur vs Yulia Putintseva
Head to head: First meeting
Ons Jabeur has reached her second quarterfinal of 2019. The Tunisian has won eleven singles titles on the ITF circuit, but hasn’t found much success above that level. Jabeur has reached a career high ranking of World #61 despite nine first round losses and an overall 19-20 win-loss record, 13-15 on hard courts. Yet, it’s obvious Jabeur can surprise as evidenced by her semifinal run in Eastbourne. It seems Jabeur learns from her losses and perhaps she’ll remember her 2010 and 2011 Juniors bouts against Putintseva to finally craft a winning strategy.
Usually, Yulia Putintseva overcomes lower ranked players. Most of the Kazakh’s 2019 losses came at the hands of Top 20 opponents. Sure, there were a couple of surprising upsets, such as Putintseva’s Bronx loss to World #131 Lin Zhu. But, the World #36 has proved consistent in defeating lesser ranked opponents, which is squarely where Jabeur falls. Aspects of Jabeur’s game may trouble the 24-year-old, but it’s likely Putintseva will have the answer, despite two Juniors losses.
Prediction: Putintseva in 3
Magda Linette vs Heather Watson
Head to head:
Heather Watson has been quite a surprise in Tianjin. After losing in qualifiers in Wuhan and Beijing, there was little expectation for Watson. Once a promising rising star, the Briton has fallen to World #125 and her success was confined to the ITF circuit. Yet, Watson has eliminated second seed Wang Qiang and Kateryna Bondarenko in straight sets win. It safe to say that Watson can now be considered at threat in Tianjin.
Magda Linette now sits at World #42, now nearing her career high ranking. Winning this tournament will put the Pole inside the Top 40. Clearly, Linette is capable of lifting the trophy, just as she did in New York a few months ago. The #8 seed opened her campaign with a commanding win over American Christina McHale 6-3, 6-1. After Linette raced out to a 4-0 lead, her second round opponent, Kurumi Nara retired securing Linette’s quarterfinal appearance. Despite serving at 29% first serve in play in her second round, Linette won 80% behind her second delivery. Is Watson capable of punishing the second serve? I doubt it as Linette can defend that weaker offering quite well. Expect a clinical performance from the Pole and a spot in the semis.
Prediction: Linette in 2
Veronika Kudermetova vs Dayana Yastremska
Head to head: Kudermetova 1-0 Yastremska
Dayana Yastremska is the highest remaining seed in Tianjin. Dropping just 11 games en route to the quarterfinals should give the #3 seed the belief that her third 2019 title is within reach. An exceptional 31-19 win-loss record furthers that expectation.
Veronika Kudermetova has dropped a mere five games en route to the quarterfinals. A commanding win over Ajla tomljanovic (6-4, 6-2) and a 5-0 lead over Zheng Saisai before Zheng retired, required little court time from the Russian. She’ll be energized and ready for the battle ahead, as the quarterfinal will be a much different story for the Russian. I expect Kudermetova and Yastremska will battle through three sets. However, while she can be inconsistent at times, Yastremska is the strong player and should reach the semis.
Prediction: Yastremska in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
