The WTA event this week in Jiujiang features a very modest field on paper, with no one ranked higher than #47 in the draw. However, it should still provide plenty of exciting and well fought matches, with several players looking to end their season on a bright note by winning a rare title at this level. The lack of top players should not stop this from being another great week of tennis in China.
WTA Jiujiang Day 1 Predictions
Tamara Korpatsch vs Anna Bondar
Head-to-head: Korpatsch 4-0 Bondar
This is a very intriguing matchup: while Bondar is the far higher ranked player, Korpatsch leads the head-to-head very decisively, with four wins in four matches and only one set lost, a couple of weeks ago in Ningbo. That match was extremely tight and that should happen again here, with it coming down to a few key points here and there. You would have to imagine that Bondar will get a win in this matchup at some point, but the mental edge seems to be clearly on Korpatsch’s side at the moment. It’s an extremely hard match to call, one that could genuinely go either way.
Prediction: Bondar in 3
Elena Pridankina vs Ella Seidel
Head-to-head: Seidel 1-0 Pridakina
This should be a very interesting match between two 19-year-old players who have already made some strides but are likely to progress much further in the future. At this point in their development, Seidel seems to be ahead and should have the edge in their direct matchup, as she proved last year in Stuttgart. This time around, it should be much closer though.
Prediction: Seidel in 3
Marie Bouzkova vs Alexandra Eala
Head-to-head: Bouzkova 1-0 Eala
On paper, this is potentially the most one-sided matchup of the day. Bouzkova won with ease when the pair faced last month in Guadalajara and the same should happen here. She’s the #1 seed of this tournament, while Eala is ranked #147 and rarely has any success at this level.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 2
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
