QF set in Tokyo and Seoul 🎾

Pan Pacific Open, Tokyo 

It’s now down to eight in Tokyo and it is a pretty competitive field. 

Veronika Kudermetova v Beatriz Haddad Maia 

No.4 seed Kudermetova faced no trouble at all in her round of 16 match. It took the Russian less than an hour to dispatch qualifier Fernanda Contreras Gomez 6-0, 6-1. It was exactly what she needed, knowing she would be facing a bigger hurdle in the quarterfinals.  

Haddad Maia had it even easier. The Brazilian made it into the quarterfinals by walkover, after Naomi Osaka withdrew from the tournament due to illness.  

Head-to-head: First meeting 

This is probably the match of the quarterfinals, a clash between the No.4 and No.5 seed. 

It is bound to be a battle, as both players have played just one match each on the way to the quarterfinals and they will both be fresh. 

Considering recent form, Haddad Maia certainly has the edge here and should nick this one with odds of 1.90 on BetKing. 

Liudmila Samsonova v Garbine Muguruza 

Samsonova’s impressive last few months continues as she beat Wang Xinyu 7-6(5), 6-3 in the round of 16. The 30th-ranked Russian has now won 15 of her last 16 matches – she is a woman in form. 

After her first-round bye, No.3 seed got through to the quarterfinals by beating qualifier Despina Papamichail 6-4, 6-2. 

Head-to-head: Muguruza leads 1-0 

Muguruza defeated Samsonova in straight sets at the Australian Open in 2021, but the Russian has improved significantly since then. 

Muguruza has struggled all year and has failed to win more than two matches on a bounce. The Spaniard currently needs as many points as she can get in order to qualify for the WTA Finals where she is defending champion. Facing Samsonova at this point could be another setback for the two-time Grand Slam champion. 

While Samsonova got through Wang Xinyu, she made over thirty unforced errors, and even though her serve however got her out of trouble a number of times (she hit 13 aces), this is something she will need to get under control against Muguruza. 

Samsonova is the lower-ranked and unseeded player in this matchup, but she is the favourite to win it on account of form. You should stake on that with odds of 1.55 on BetKing.

Petra Martic v Shuai Zhang  

Going into the round of 16, World No.46 Martic was something of an underdog against Karolina Pliskova. The Croatian however pulled off the upset, defeating the No.6 seed and 2018 champion 6-3, 6-4 to reach her fourth quarterfinal of 2022. 

Zhang caused an upset of her own, saving match point on the way to a stunning 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(5) win over No.2 seed Caroline Garcia. Despite Garcia’s 27 aces, Zhang emerged victorious. 

Head-to-head: Martic leads 2-0 

Martic came out on both previous occasions they met, but this is a tough one to call. In Tokyo, Zhang says it feels like home and that could give her the much-needed confidence she would need to take down Martic. On BetKing, there are odds of 1.80 for the Chinese to take it. 

Qinwen Zheng v Claire Liu 

19-year-old Zheng continues to impress and while her 6-3, 6-2 win over top seed Paula Badosa might have been an upset, it was not much of a surprise. The highly rated Chinese has more than earned her place in the quarterfinals. 

World No.84 Liu has reached her first WTA 500 quarterfinal with two commendable wins over Alison Riske-Amritraj and Elise Mertens, defeating both top-50 women in straight sets. The American was certainly not tipped to get this far but she surprisingly has. 

Head-to-head: First meeting 

Both players will be playing for the first WTA 500 semifinal. The favourite is clear here: Zheng. Odds of 1.30 on BetKing reflect this. 

Korea Open 

Magda Linette v Emma Raducanu  

A finalist in Chennai last week, Linette came from the very brink of defeat, saving two match points to defeat Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2 in Seoul. 

2021 US Open champion Raducanu got through her own round of 16 matches in straight sets, taking out experienced Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-3, 7-5 to make her third quarterfinal of the season. 

Head-to-head: First meeting 

Another difficult one to call. These are two players from whom you never know what to expect. 

After playing a final last week and then getting here after a three-set battle, fatigue might just tell on Linette. Raducanu has won her two matches in straight sets and will definitely have more energy conserved for the match. Stake on Raducanu to win with odds of 1.60 on BetKing. 

Tatjana Maria v Lin Zhu 

Wimbledon semifinalist Maria has been unable to replicate the form which led her to that feat but by beating Eugenie Bouchard and Kimberly Birrell in straight sets, the World No.80 has found her way into the quarterfinals.  

World No. 90 Lin Zhu has been fortunate to get an easy draw so far. She defeated World No. 130 Jeong Su Jang and No.329 Ankita Raina to get here. 

Head-to-head: First meeting 

This should be straightforward for Maria. 1.80 odds for her to win on BetKing are quite generous. 

Jelena Ostapenko v Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva  

Top seed Ostapenko has been made to battle in the first two rounds, needing three sets in both matches to get through. The Latvian came from a break down in the third set to defeat Anastasia Gasanova 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. 

After entering the tournament as a lucky loser, Jimenez Kasintseva made history, becoming the first Andorran player to win a WTA match by beating Chloe Paquet in the first round.  

The 17-year-old then backed it up, sending off Rebecca Marino in straight sets to reach her first WTA quarterfinal. 

Head-to-head: First meeting  

Ostapenko has played two consecutive three-sets matches but she should get this one done in straights. For this, you get 1.35 odds on BetKing. 

Ekaterina Alexandrova v Lulu Sun 

No.2 seed Alexandrova easily beat Na-Lee Han to make the quarterfinals. The Russian is looking to win her second title of the year. 

World No.340 Sun is a surprise quarterfinalist here. The qualifier took out Ana Blinkova after two tight sets to reach her first WTA quarterfinal. 

Head-to-head: First meeting  

The offer of 1.10 odds on BetKing clearly shows Alexandrova is the favorite in this matchup. You might get a little more value by betting on the Russian to win in straights, which is priced at 1.26 odds on BetKing.