The 2023 WTA Seoul Open continues with the remaining second-round matches. There should be plenty of entertaining tennis with four intriguing second-round matches on the slate in the South Korean capital and, as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the schedule. But who will reach the quarterfinals?
WTA Seoul Day 4 Predictions
Eva Lys vs Marie Bouzkova
Head-to-head: first meeting
Eva Lys has had a nice Asian swing so far, qualifying for Beijing and taking a set off Jelena Ostapenko. She also followed it up with a win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova here. The German has a more dynamic game than Marie Bouzkova and theoretically could provide a stronger level on her day. However, there’s a reason why she’s still outside the top 100. These days happen to her quite infrequently and she’ll need to be peaking to hit through Bouzkova here.
Prediction: Lys in 3
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Su-Jeong Jang vs Emina Bektas
Head-to-head: first meeting
This one looks very unclear. Has Emina Bektas slowed down after a red-hot first half of the year or is she simply competing against better opposition right now? The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Su-Jeong Jang scored a massive win over Sofia Kenin in the opening round and as well all know, backing it up is never easy. It really seems like Bektas might have overperformed quite a lot in this campaign and she might hit a wall soon.
Prediction: Jang in 3
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Kimberly Birrell vs Back Da-yeon
Head-to-head: first meeting
Back Da-yeon’s upset over Jelena Ostapenko is one of the biggest in recent memory on the WTA Tour, even taking into consideration the Latvian’s all-or-nothing playstyle. The South Korean had to come back from 2-5 down in the deciding set and mostly ground down the 2017 French Open champion with slice defense. Kimberly Birrell is a very different challenge. While she doesn’t possess the weapons of Ostapenko, she simply won’t drop below a certain level.
Prediction: Birrell in 2
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Jessica Pegula vs Ashlyn Krueger
Head-to-head: first meeting
Normally we’d question the determination of someone like Jessica Pegula, who’s already qualified for the WTA Finals and doesn’t have much to gain from this WTA 250 event. However, we’re talking about a player who seems to love competing and doesn’t throw in the towel easily. Ashlyn Krueger is a very talented 19-year-old who recently claimed her first main tour title. She’s dangerous, but Pegula is someone we always expect a certain degree of consistency from.
Prediction: Pegula in 2
Main photo credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
