No. 1 seed Naomi Osaka looks to continue her strong play in her home city of Osaka. She squares off against Suzan Lamens in a matinee battle on center court. As always, we at LWOT have the preview and prediction for every match on the slate. But who will advance?<\/p>\n
Head-to-Head<\/strong>: first meeting<\/p>\n Not much separates the careers of Katie Boulter and Sorana Cirstea. Both women are currently ranked in the 50s with career-highs in the 20s, and both have won three titles. However, Cirstea has been in much better form of late. The Romanian is 15-5 since the beginning of August, whereas Boulter is just 4-6 over that same span. Boulter enjoys the faster courts that WTA Osaka provides, but Cirstea can match this. She wins a tight match.<\/p>\n Prediction: Cirstea in 3<\/em><\/p>\n Head-to-Head<\/strong>: first meeting<\/p>\n Just one ranking slot separates Olga Danilovic and Ashlyn Krueger. Both women, who love fast surfaces, should feel they have a chance to make a run at WTA Osaka. They are two hard-hitters who thrive by putting pressure on the opposition. However, the 21-year-old American has, in my opinion, a bit of a higher ceiling when firing on all cylinders.<\/p>\n Prediction: Krueger in 3<\/em><\/p>\nOlga Danilovic vs Ashlyn Krueger<\/strong><\/h4>\n