The first round matches at the 2019 WTA China Open continue on Sunday, September 29 with Elina Svitolina and Wang Qiang leading the way today. Match previews and Sloane Stephens v Magda Linette & Elina Svitolina v Anastasija Sevastova tips and predictions can be found below.
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Sloane Stephens v Magda Linette Predictions & Preview
The world number 15 takes on 43rd-ranked Magda Linette in this first round match at the China Open on Sunday. And this will be the third time these two players will be facing off, but for the first time since 2016. Stephens leads the head to head 2-0, having not dropped more than four games in any of the four sets played so far.
That said, those were glory days for Stephens too, when the American, in the lead-up to her first – and only – Grand Slam title win was in exquisite form. But that graph has tapered off quite spectacularly.
Look at her win-loss record on hard court surfaces in each of the last three years. In 2017, it was 15-5, then it worsened slightly but was a very respectable 21-10 in 2018 but this year, Stephens is 9-12 on this surface. A third round at Wuhan last week was the first time since Wimbledon she won two matches in a row and the first time since the Australian Open she did that on hard court surface.
Linette’s had a better record for sure and one that includes two WTA and one ITF finals. She went on to lift that title in New York – having made it through the qualifiers and was a losing finalist at Seoul. Here she needed to win back to back qualifiers to make the main draw and will be a doughty opponent for the American. Expecting a hard-fought match here that goes to the third set.
Tip: Three sets in the match: 7/5 with Unibet
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Elina Svitolina v Anastasija Sevastova Predictions & Preview
The third-ranked Elina Svitolina will be up against Anastasija Sevastova in their opening match at the China Open and it is one that could have fans licking their lips in anticipation. After all their head to head is 1-1 but more vitally, it’s not often that a world number three plays the 19th-ranked player so early in the tournament.
That said, Svitolina’s record in big tournaments this year has been impressive even though she has bowed out early in the smaller ones. Over the last three weeks, in fact, Svitolina has played at Zhengzhou, Guangzhou and Wuhan and has a 4-3 win-loss record.
On the other hand, Sevastova has won just nine of her 20 matches on hard court, a far cry from her clay showing in which she has won 13 out of 20 – including a title. That makes Svitolina a rightful favourite in this encounter but more than anything she should win this in straight sets too.
Tip: Elina Svitolina to win in straight sets: 1/1 with Unibet
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Qiang Wang v Ajla Tomljanovic Predictions & Preview
In what will be their first ever meeting, Qiang Wang takes on Ajla Tomljanovic in their opening round tie at the China Open. Wang looked to have surprised a few with her quarterfinal appear at the US Open but she has lost two of her next three matches in home tournaments which makes it tougher to call her a favourite in this match even though she is 33 places ahead of her opponent.
Tomljanovic did make it to the semifinal at Zhengzhou but followed it up with two defeats from her next three matches. An opening round loss at Toronto and San Jose and a second round defeat at the US Open gives her an 18-15 win-loss record on hard court and an inconsistent performance overall.
We don’t think this will be a straightforward match for the Chinese world number 16 but she should still come through. Keeping it safe and avoiding the use of sets for this one.
Tip: Wang to win: 4/9 with Unibet
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Ekaterina Alexandrova v Bernarda Pera Predictions & Preview
World number 39 Ekaterina Alexandrova takes on qualifier Bernarda Pera in their first round match on Sunday. In their only previous match that was played in Liomges on indoor courts, the Russian had come away with an easy 6-0, 6-4 win but that was two years ago.
That said, Alexandrova is currently at her best WTA ranking, and has been consistently been making it deeper into tournaments. A semifinal at the Seoul Open and a third round at the Toronto Open after having qualified for the competition.
USA’s Pera has been doing her bit too, pushing into the second rounds at times, and making quarterfinals of events like the New York Open. Her clay court play is way better than hard court and that should allow the Russian to pocket this match with some ease.
Tip: Ekaterina Alexandrova to win: 4/7 with Unibet
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