We enter the last WTA 1000 tournament of the season in Wuhan with a packed draw. Twelve matches are on the cards on the first day, including these four who are meeting for the very first time, adding an air of uncertainty to the outcome. Still, as always, we at LWOT will offer predictions on who will advance to the second round.<\/p>\n
Head\u2013to\u2013Head: <\/strong>First Meeting<\/p>\n Olga Danilovic will be playing her first tournament since the US Open<\/a>, where she was defeated in the first round by Moyuka Uchijima. The Serbian had an impressive clay season, clinching a title in Antalya, reaching the finals in Rouen, and advancing to the third round at the French Open<\/a>. However, her performance has declined since then, as she hasn’t managed to win back-to-back matches in the main draw of a tournament since that Grand Slam in May.<\/p>\n In the opening round, she will face Clara Tauson, who is looking to improve in Wuhan after a disappointing early exit in Beijing.<\/p>\n Despite her recent struggles, Tauson should have too much firepower to down Danilovic, who has already suffered losses in seven of her eleven matches on this surface this season. Head\u2013to\u2013Head<\/strong>: \u00a0First Meeting<\/p>\n Lucia Bronzetti successfully navigated both of her qualifying matches, although she has not secured a main draw win since her Round of 16 performance in Cincinnati, arguably her most notable achievement of the season, alongside a final appearance at the 250 event in Cluj earlier in the year. Nonetheless, Bronzetti holds a negative win-loss record overall, suffering 25 losses in 45 matches.<\/p>\n Yue Yuan progressed to the second round of the China Open in her last outing after defeating Yuliia Putintseva, but fell to top seed Iga Swiatek in straight sets in the next match. Before this tournament, Yuan was on a four-match losing streak, and she will need to find her form if she hopes to break into the Top 100 of the world rankings by the end of the season.<\/p>\n These two are closely matched, with neither currently on the roll. While Yuan will have home support, the Italian already has two matches under her belt and will play with less pressure.
\nPrediction: Tauson in 2<\/em><\/p>\nLucia Bronzetti vs Yue Yuan<\/h4>\n
\nPrediction: Bronzetti in 3<\/em><\/p>\n