It is Day 1 at the WTA Osaka 250 event, as the Asian swing continues on the WTA Tour until the end of the 2026 regular season. The first day sees a host of first-round matches set, as we have an exciting fixture list in front of us. As always, we here at LWOT will be predicting each match for you, but who do you think will make the second round in Osaka?
WTA Osaka Day 1 Predictions
Talia Gibson vs Harriet Dart
Head-to-head: First meeting
After a solid showing during the qualifying round, Harriet Dart takes her baseline game in Osaka up against the powerful game of Talia Gibson. The Australian comes into this match riding a three-match losing streak, as she will surely look to get back into the win column after a run to the final in Singapore recently. Expect Gibson, on the back of her much better serve and aggressive baseline approach, to win this match.
Prediction: Gibson in 2
Caty McNally vs Sinja Kraus
Head-to-head: McNally 1-0 Kraus
With her all-court aggression, Caty McNally can be a tricky player to face on hard courts. Sinja Kraus comes into this match after going through the qualifying phase, so she should be well adjusted to the conditions by now. While that should mean she has no rust coming into the match, McNally is still the player with the bigger weapons in this encounter. If she serves well and uses her variety, she should win this match.
Prediction: McNally in 3
Katie Boulter vs Himeno Sakatsume
Head-to-head: Boulter 0-1 Sakatsume
Ranked outside of the top 100 and given a wildcard to play in her home tournament, WTA Osaka, Himeno Sakatsume faces Katie Boulter in her opening match, a player whom she has previously beaten. The Brit relies on using her forehand from the baseline, but in their previous match, Sakatsume, with her more consistent and patient baseline game, did well to frustrate Boulter. Still, on hard courts, if the Brit manages her unforced error count and serves well, she should be able to exact revenge here.
Prediction: Boulter in 3
Read More: WTA Osaka Day 1 Predictions Including Lilli Tagger vs Liudmila Samsonova
Ashlyn Krueger vs Janice Tjen
Head-to-head: Krueger 1-0 Tjen
Mar 24, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Ashlyn Krueger (USA) hits a forehand against Zheng Qinwen (CHN)(not pictured) on day seven of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
It has not been the season so far that Janice Tjen would have hoped for, as she has struggled for consistency throughout. Now at WTA Osaka, she takes her backhand-slice-centric game up against Ashlyn Krueger, an opponent whose powerful baseline game and big serving can be quite tricky to face on hard courts. While Tjen should have much of the support from the crowd in this match, I do not expect her to string two sets of consistent tennis together to trouble Krueger here.
Prediction: Krueger in 2
Main Photo Credit: Imagn Images via Reuters Connect