WTA Wuhan Day 1 Predictions
Ashlyn Krueger vs Hailey Baptiste
Head-to-head: Krueger 1-1 Baptiste
Baptiste had a great debut appearance in Wuhan last season, reaching the last 16 as a qualifier after a massive win over Barbora Krejcikova. She sits on the cusp of a top 50 return (her previous career high is world #47). Krueger has lost her last three matches and has never won a main draw match in Wuhan. Right now, Krueger’s game lacks punch and consistency. Expect Baptiste to extend her compatriot’s dismal run of results.
Prediction: Baptiste in 2
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Zhu Lin vs Maya Joint
Head-to-head: Joint 1-0 Zhu
Maya Joint’s first full season on the WTA Tour couldn’t have gone any better. She’s won 28 of 46 matches at the Tour level and has bagged a couple of titles. With the season almost coming to an end, the wheels are still intact. The 19-year-old is coming off a third-round finish in Beijing, where she beat Diana Shnaider.
Zhu Lin hasn’t played a lot of tennis this season, and the Chinese player retired hurt in the third set when she faced the Australian teenager in Singapore back in January. Lin is now healthy and she’s got plenty of experience and good results on hard courts during her career. Home comfort might tip the scales in her favour.
Prediction: Lin in 3
Camila Osorio vs Marie Bouzkova
Head-to-head: Bouzkova 2-1 Osorio
Although Camila Osorio won the pair’s last WTA match at the 2024 Bogota Open, Marie Bouzkova leads the head-to-head 2-1, with the Czech’s two wins coming on hard courts. That could be a crucial stat here. Osorio, for all her grit and creativity, lacks the power needed to hit through Bouzkova from the baseline on a quicker or neutral surface.
Prediction: Bouzkova in 2
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Dayana Yastremska vs Laura Siegemund
Head-to-head: Yastremska 3-0 Siegemund
This will be a clash of styles. Dayana Yastremska has an abundance of firepower and aggression and tends to play quicker points. Laura Sigemund, by contrast, will look to soak up all the pressure and bide her time from the baseline. But historically, this matchup has favored the proactive player (Yastremska leads the head-to-head 3-0), and Yastremska’s willingness to attack will likely pay off.
Prediction: Yastremska in 2
Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
