First round action at the 2019 Tianjin Open kick starts on Monday, October 7 with Caroline Garcia leading today’s play? Here’s Caroline Garcia v Anastasia Potapova & Yulia Putintseva v Astra Sharma tips, previews and predictions along with a couple of other matches for today.
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Caroline Garcia v Anastasia Potapova Predictions & Preview
This will be the first time that French player Caroline Garcia will be going up against Anastasia Potapova of Russia in this round one match at the China Open. A former world number four, Garcia has fallen to 31st in the world, and some of it is to do with her horrid showing on hard court surfaces this year.
Her first round loss to Dayana Yastremska at the China Open last week was her 14th defeat of the season and in a year that has seen her win just seven matches on hard court surfaces, that’s an underwhelming record. What makes it worse for Garcia is the manner of that defeat, going down in a hurry, winning just two games in that match.
Since the US Open series began in Australia, Garcia has reached the second round in just two of the seven tournaments she has participated in and never beyond that. Potapova, who lost to Lauren Davis in the second qualifying round at the China Open last week, will be mindful of that and despite ranked 89th – 58 places below Garcia – she would know she has a chance.
The odds are still heavily stacked in favour of Garcia but a three-setter can be expected.
Tip: Three sets in the match: 8/5 with Unibet
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Yulia Putintseva v Astra Sharma Predictions & Preview
This will be the first time that the sixth seeded Yulia Putintseva takes on Astra Sharma of Australia as they face off in round one at Tianjin. Putintseva is coming off a second round exit at the China Open, where she lost to Ash Barty, but she has had a reasonable show of form in recent times. A third round appearance at the US Open and quarterfinals at the Osaka Open have all been a part of that.
Astra Sharma is more known for her doubles play but her singles ranking has steadily climbed into the top 100 as a result of a string of decent showings. A main draw qualification at the Cincinnati Open and then a quarterfinal in New Haven have boosted that, but she did lose three successive matches in the lead-up to this one.
With the Aussie having not really troubled too many top 40 players in the past, this should be a reasonably easy one for Putintseva. Expecting a straight-set win for her here.
Tip: Putintseva to win in straight sets: 10/13 with Unibet
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Wang Yafan v Lauren Davis Predictions & Preview
For the second time in as many months, China’s Wang Yafan will be up against Lauren Davis of the USA in what could be a power-packed encounter at the Tianjin Open. As far as rankings go, Yafan is 13 spots ahead of Davis at 49th in the world – which is also near her best ranking of 48th – she had won the last match they had played at the Wuhan Open.
Yafan was leading Davis in the final set in that encounter before Davis retired because of a spine injury but she looks to have made a decent recovery after having won both her qualifiers at the China Open last week. She then went down to Caroline Wozniacki in the first round.
The Chinese woman has had a decent few tournaments since she ended her four-match losing streak earlier last month. A semi-final at Seoul was followed by second round appearances at Seoul and China Open and as she readies herself for this encounter, those results will come handy for her confidence. Davis should give her a fight but Yafan should be favourite again.
Tip: Yafan to win: 3/4 with Unibet
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Heather Watson v Kateryna Bondarenko Predictions & Preview
In what will be their fourth meeting overall, Great Britain’s Heather Watson will be up against Kateryna Bondarenko in this first round match at the Tianjin Open. So far, their head to head reads 2-1 in favour of Bondarenko, with Watson having won their last match on clay in 2018.
The 27-year-old Watson was once ranked 38th in the world but has fallen to 125th. She is looking to make a comeback and has shown those qualities at the lower circuit, winning two ITF tournaments on hard courts this year. One of them came as recently as in the lead-up to the US Open and that was followed by a semi-final at the New Haven Open.
She lost in the qualifiers of the China Open but now has an opportunity to push past Bondarenko, who has herself played just one match this year before. Having entered this year with a protected ranking, her previous match at Tashkent resulted in a straight-set walloping by Greet Minnen and she would have a task on her hand when she takes on Watson.
Watson would be a heavy favourite.
Tip: Watson to win in straight sets: 8/11 with Unibet
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