WTA Osaka 2019 | Team USA

Admin
Administrator

Posts: 72,746

WTA Osaka 2019 Sept 15, 2019 18:16:29 GMT

Quote

Post by Admin on Sept 15, 2019 18:16:29 GMT

Elise Mertens and Anastasija Sevastova reprise one of the best matches of the WTA season as the Toray Pan Pacific Open gets under way, while Dayana Yastremska also takes on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in first-round action.

http://instagram.com/p/B2bQLkqF6QN

No.6 seed Anastasija Sevastova and Elise Mertens will meet for the first time since playing one of the best matches of 2019, an epic 6-7(3), 6-4, 11-9 third-round win for Sevastova at Roland Garros that was also, at three hours and 18 minutes, the longest Grand Slam match of the season. The Latvian, who saved five match points en route to victory, also notched up her second win in as many encounters with Mertens, having also defeated the Belgian 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-1 in the first round of Mallorca 2017 en route to her second career title.

http://instagram.com/p/B2N_9CvFmZs

2017 runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova faces Dayana Yastremska for the first time today. Pavlyuchenkova, who started the year by reaching her fifth Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open, has won just two of her last 10 matches stretching back to Stuttgart in May.

Monica Puig is 2-0 against qualifier Zarina Diyas, having taken their first meeting in the first round of Beijing in 2015 via retirement, and their second 6-4, 2-6 6-2 in the first round of Madrid last year.

Lausanne quarterfinalist Han Xinyun has come through qualifying to make her first appearance in a WTA main draw above International level since Wimbledon 2017, and first Premier main draw since Stanford 2016. Nicole Gibbs has also qualified for her first WTA main draw of the season (having played the US Open as a lucky loser).

ORDER OF PLAY (all courts start 11am)

CENTER COURT
Elise MERTENS (BEL) vs [6] Anastasija SEVASTOVA (LAT)
Not before 12.30pm
[Q] HAN Xinyun (CHN) vs Camila GIORGI (ITA)
Monica PUIG (PUR) vs [Q] Zarina DIYAS (KAZ)
Not before 5pm
Dayana YASTREMSKA (UKR) vs Anastasia PAVLYUCHENKOVA (RUS)

COURT 1
Alison RISKE (USA) vs [Q] Nicole GIBBS (USA)
Not before 12.30pm
[Q] Alizé CORNET (FRA) vs [Q] Viktoriya TOMOVA (BUL)
Miyu KATO (JPN) / Storm SANDERS (AUS) vs Gabriela DABROWSKI (CAN) / Caroline GARCIA (FRA)

Last Edit: Sept 15, 2019 18:16:55 GMT by Admin

Admin
Administrator

Posts: 72,746

WTA Osaka 2019 Sept 16, 2019 18:27:59 GMT

Quote

Post by Admin on Sept 16, 2019 18:27:59 GMT

Sam Smith, former British No.1 and TV tennis commentator, makes her picks for this week's Toray Pan Pacific Open in Osaka, Japan.

Naomi Osaka

“I’m going with Naomi because I feel she’s turned a corner. The US Open is out of the way, and I thought she was serving far better in New York. I also liked the way she played in Japan last year, handling the pressure after her win at Flushing Meadows. With her serve, the quick hardcourts in Osaka will suit her.”

Donna Vekic

“I’m a huge fan of Donna. I thought the way she played through to the quarterfinals at the US Open showed a real breakthrough and I believe she is ready to make an assault on the world’s Top 10. Definitely one to watch in Asia and moving forward.”

Camila Giorgi

“Camila has been a bit ‘in and out’ this year but she’s one of those players you can never underestimate. She hits the ball very hard and flat and is especially dangerous on a court that is playing quickly, as long as she keeps her consistency up.”

Admin
Administrator

Posts: 72,746

WTA Osaka 2019 Sept 17, 2019 19:47:50 GMT

Quote

Post by Admin on Sept 17, 2019 19:47:50 GMT

Day 3 of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Osaka will feature half of the second round singles matches. Top seeds Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber will play their first matches, after byes in the opening round. Who do you think will prevail?

WTA Pan Pacific Open Day 3 Predictions

Angelique Kerber vs Nicole Gibbs
Head-to-head: First meeting

The German is on a five-match losing streak at this point, although she took a set in four of the encounters. Playing Gibbs might seem like a perfect opportunity to break it, but the American has advanced to the second round with three good straight-set wins and will have some arguments of her own. Gibbs has a very solid all-round game and she will not hand the win over on a silver platter. Considering Kerber’s disastrous form, we can sound the upset alert here.
Prediction: Gibbs in 3

Naomi Osaka vs Viktoriya Tomova
Head-to-head: First meeting

A good draw for the World No.4 in her first tournament since the US Open disappointment. Tomova has already played nine sets of tennis here. The Bulgarian can hit the ball very hard, yet there’s no way she will be consistent enough to contest Osaka. Playing in her hometown might put a bit of pressure on the Japanese but this should be a walk in the park.
Prediction: Osaka in 2

Admin
Administrator

Posts: 72,746

WTA Osaka 2019 Sept 18, 2019 18:46:33 GMT

Quote

Post by Admin on Sept 18, 2019 18:46:33 GMT

Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei pulled off an impressive comeback at the Toray Pan Pacific Open on Tuesday, saving a match point en route to a 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-1 victory over former World No.1 Garbiñe Muguruza of Spain.

World No.33 Hsieh fought back to clinch her second win in two meetings against 26th-ranked Muguruza, having also beaten the two-time Grand Slam champion in the second round of the 2018 Australian Open, when the Spaniard was ranked World No.3.

"I know that anything can happen because this is almost the end of the year," Hsieh said to the media, after the match. "I just want to be more relaxed, going more to my game. Sometimes I lose a little bit of rhythm at the beginning, so I just need to play more games to get the rhythm."

Admin
Administrator

Posts: 72,746

WTA Osaka 2019 Sept 19, 2019 18:08:45 GMT

Quote

Post by Admin on Sept 19, 2019 18:08:45 GMT

Top-seeded Naomi Osaka reached the quarterfinals at the Pan Pacific Open by beating qualifier Viktoriya Tomova 7-5, 6-3 on Wednesday.

Osaka, who was broken twice early in the match, is looking to win her first title in her hometown after finishing as the runner-up in 2016 and 2018.

She will next meet either Yulia Putintseva or Russian qualifier Varvara Flink.

Keys now 6-0 vs. Kasatkina with Pan Pacific win
Fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber won her first match since Wimbledon, beating American qualifier Nicole Gibbs 6-2, 6-4.

"The goal now is to finish the year as well as I can, to put all the energy which I have into this run in Asia and to play well in the next few weeks," Kerber said.