We've got three first-round picks from the WTA Huzhou Open today, played under overcast skies and a mild 61°F with a bit of rain in the air. All three matches are pretty competitive on paper, so let's get into it.
WTA Huzhou Open Predictions
Polona Hercog vs Xinyu Gao
Head-to-head: First meeting
Two players ranked close together and meeting for the first time, which always makes things a little unpredictable. Hercog is the older clay veteran here and has shown throughout her career that she can grind on the dirt, and at 249 in the world she's clearly been working her way back up the rankings after a rough stretch. Gao at 230 is slightly higher ranked but hasn't done much to suggest she thrives on this surface at this level.
I think this goes three sets, with Hercog's experience on clay being the difference late in the deciding set. The conditions, cool and damp, should slow the ball down and suit her grinding style.
Prediction: Hercog in 3
Hanyu Guo vs Dalila Jakupovic
Head-to-head: Guo 1-1 Jakupovic
They've split their two meetings, so there's genuine familiarity here. Guo is ranked nearly 200 spots above Jakupovic right now and that gap is hard to ignore, but Jakupovic is the kind of player who can hang around and make things uncomfortable, especially on a slower clay surface. That said, Guo has been the more consistent performer at this level for a while now and should have enough to close it out, all things considered.
Prediction: Guo in 3
Carol Zhao vs Katarzyna Kawa
Head-to-head: Zhao 1-0 Kawa
Zhao leads the head-to-head but she's ranked 245 spots below Kawa right now, and that ranking gap tells most of the story. Kawa at 163 is a seasoned clay-court player who's been a consistent presence on this surface for years and Zhao at 408 is a significant step down in quality here. The prior win for Zhao is a nice footnote but doesn't change much about how this match shapes up.
Hard to see this being competitive at all, and I'd be surprised if it takes her three sets.
Prediction: Kawa in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Rob Prange/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire