The battle to reach the last eight at the WTA Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo begins with four second-round matches on Wednesday. Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu faces her first major test at the tournament when she goes up against Beatriz Haddad Maia. Who will advance?
WTA Tokyo Day 3 Predictions
Leylah Fernandez vs Varvara Gracheva
Head-to-head: Fernandez 1-0 Gracheva
After four straight defeats, Fernandez’s game is firing again. She won successive matches in Wuhan and is looking to do the same here in Tokyo. The Canadian earned a retirement win in her opening match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Gracheva, for her part, powered past home player Mai Hontama. This will be a test for the higher-ranked Fernandez. Gracheva is a power-hitting player but is still prone to make fundamental errors.
Prediction: Fernandez in 3
Diana Shnaider vs Viktoriya Tomova
Head-to-head: Shnaider 1-0 Tomova
Shnaider has shown a lot of potential beyond her years this season. Few young players can boast about winning three titles on all three surfaces. There is no ceiling to what she can achieve if she continues to pummel the ball with such unerring power. Her excellent form on hard courts has faded recently, so she needs to thwart this winless spell. Tomova is coming off a fine win over the defending champion Kudermetova. But if Shnaider is dialed in for the occasion, there is little the 29-year-old can do to avert danger, especially from that frightening forehand.
Prediction: Shnaider in 2
Zeynep Sonmez vs Sayaka Ishii
Head-to-head: first meeting
This is turning out to be a dream week for Zeynep Sonmez. She has only made sporadic appearances in the main draw but is maximizing those limited opportunities. A win against Sayaka Ishii will push her ranking to within touching distance of the Top 100. Sonmez has certainly impressed against higher-caliber opponents, stunning Magdalena Frech in her last outing. She’s overflowing with belief right now, and Ishii might need more than crowd support to stop the Turk.
Prediction: Sonmez in 2
Beatriz Haddad Maia vs Bianca Andreescu
Head-to-head: Haddad Maia 1-1 Andreescu
It wasn’t the prettiest first-round win from Andreescu in her opening match at the Pan Pacific Open. She was broken three times during the match against the Japanese qualifier Mei Yamaguchi. That could indicate her level is still not yet up to the standard to defeat a Top 10 player. Haddad Maia has won eight of her 11 matches on Asian soil this year and is back in the elite coterie. It is a run that includes her fourth career title in Seoul. Andreescu hasn’t played back-to-back matches since the Olympics, and given her previous health concerns, she might struggle to summon the energy against the fit Brazilian.
Prediction: Haddad Maia in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
