Day 2 of the WTA 500 event in Ningbo will feature plenty of high-quality matches, with several players looking to make a final push towards the WTA finals or a better year-end ranking position. The very top players aren’t present here after an intense tournament in Wuhan, but there’s still plenty of top-level players and high-quality matches to look forward to. But who will advance?
WTA Ningbo Day 2 Predictions
Shuai Zhang vs Veronika Kudermetova
Head-to-head: Zhang 1-1 Kudermetova
Despite the significant difference in rankings, this should be a pretty close match, and it is a difficult one to call. Zhang has been playing quite well lately and has the home advantage here. She only lost to the eventual champion in both Beijing and Wuhan, showing that she is a very tough player to beat. Meanwhile, while Kudermetova is generally the better and more solid player, she hasn’t quite been playing at her best lately, and Zhang could well get the win here.
Prediction: Zhang in 3
Marketa Vondrousova vs Karolina Muchova
Head-to-head: Vondrousova 2-1 Muchova
This should be a very competitive match, with both players currently ranked below their usual positions due to injury issues. Both reached the quarterfinals at the US Open and have often shown that they can produce top-level tennis, even good enough to win Slams, when they are fit and healthy. It should be a very close and high-quality match, decided by who holds their nerve and executes better in key points.
Prediction: Vondrousova in 3
Emma Raducanu vs Lin Zhu
Head-to-head: first meeting
Raducanu is having her first solid season after her initial breakthrough at the 2021 US Open, and she will be looking to finish it strongly. After struggling with the conditions and being forced to retire last week in Wuhan, she has, at least on paper, a very kind draw here against the world #219. As such, she should be able to win this first match.
Prediction: Raducanu in 2
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke – Imagn Images