Though it’s a 250-level event, there are plenty of high-profile players in competition on quarterfinals day of the WTA Seoul Open. Tricky Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria is in action, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Jelena Ostapenko will be destroying every ball they get their rackets on and Emma Raducanu continues to look for some form against recent Chennai finalist Magda Linette. As always, we here at LWOT are offering our predictions for every match, but who will advance?
WTA Seoul Day 4 Predictions
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Lulu Sun
Head-to-head: first meeting
It’s been a spotty season for Alexandrova. For the most part however, when she’s been tasked with taking taking care of a lower-ranked player, she’s delivered. When she settles into a tournament, her game is tough for the best in the world to deal with, let alone somebody of Lulu Sun ranking. The Swiss won’t have played many matches at this breakneck pace so, unless she comes out seriously low, this should go Alexandrova’s way.
Prediction: Alexandrova in 2
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Tatjana Maria vs Zhu Lin
Head-to-head: first meeting
Zhu Lin has not been an easy opponent to face this week at the WTA Seoul Open. She’s currently sitting around on spot off her career-high ranking having made a great run run to the title in Landsville and she’s actually the defending champion here when the tournament was a 125-level event. She clearly enjoys the conditions as she made short work of her first two opponents. Nobody wants to playMaria however. The German is trusting more and more in her unorthodox style of play following her run to the semifinals in Wimbledon and will not be easy to take down. Zhu will be able to hang with her and won’t go down without a fight but Maria has a knack for unravelling her opponents.
Prediction: Maria in 3
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Jelena Ostapenko vs Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva
Head-to-head: first meeting
For all of the ups and downs in Ostapenko’s form, a player of Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva’s ilk should allow for a much-needed semifinal run. The former junior world #1 has got a great temperament and plays the percentages very well from both wings but may not be ready for Ostapenko’s cut-throat style of play. Kasintseva might surprise us by rolling through a few service games on the back of her sliding lefty serve but the Latvian should prevail in straights (even if they’re tight).
Prediction: Ostapenko in 2
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Magda Linette vs Emma Raducanu
Head-to-head: first meeting
Raducanu impressed in her last win over Yanina Wickmayer. That match always had the potential to be tough so to close in straight sets is commendable. She should feel at home in the conditions of Seoul and will take any opportunity to boost her ranking at the moment. It’s difficult to predict how her meeting with Linette will go with the Pole in fine form at the moment. Fatigue may be about to set in however after a long match against Kristina Mladenovic and her run to the final in Chennai – Raducanu has also struggled against hard-hitters this season which isn’t exactly an accurate description of Linette.
Prediction: Raducanu in 3
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