It promises to be an entertaining start to the WTA Seoul Open and, as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Katie Boulter vs Kaja Juvan. But who will secure their spot in the second round in the South Korean capital?
WTA Seoul Day 1 Predictions
Kathinka von Deichmann vs Irina Khromacheva
Head-to-head: Khromacheva 1-0 von Deichmann
One of these players will get a rare WTA Tour win here – Kathinka von Deichmann hasn’t done it since 2018, Irina Khromacheva’s last victory on the main circuit came a year earlier. They’ve already played this year, but it happened in very different conditions on altitude clay in Colombia. Who wins here? It’s tough to say, but Khromacheva’s two matches in the qualifying can be an advantage, even though she actually lost to Arianne Hartono and got in as a lucky loser (but it was a respectable showing).
Prediction: Khromacheva in 3
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Claire Liu vs Ku Yeonwoo
Head-to-head: first meeting
20-year-old Ku Yeonwoo will be facing a top 100 player for the first time. The former top 40 junior is also yet to make her tour-level debut outside the Billie Jean King Cup. It’s a great opportunity for the South Korean and while it’s not out of the question that in the future we’ll see her do some damage at this event, there’s nothing that would suggest she’ll be able to compete with a class main tour competitor like Claire Liu.
Prediction: Liu in 2
Han Na-Lae vs Arantxa Rus
Head-to-head: first meeting
Arantxa Rus won that maiden WTA Tour title in Hamburg recently, but now finds herself on a six-match losing streak. One could say that’s the story of her career, succeding on the ITF circuit and then never really repeating that at the higher level. However, this is a nice opportunity for her against Han Na-Lae. The South Korean can play and could make this interesting, but Rus is definitely the favorite.
Prediction: Rus in 3
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Mai Hontama
Head-to-head: first meeting
Ekaterina Alexandrova won this event in 2022. Don’t be fooled by her opening round loss in Beijing as it came at the hands of Coco Gauff. The Russian has always performed well on these courts making the quarterfinal stage in 2018 and the semifinals in 2019. Mai Hontama can be a tricky opponent with her depth off the ground, but ultimately this really should be on Alexandrova’s racket and her level of execution.
Prediction: Alexandrova in 2
Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
