The WTA Pan Pacific Open enters its third day in Tokyo with four very exciting matches on the cards, including two first-time meetings. Will Victoria Mboko continue her resurgence, or will Diana Shnaider continue to enjoy her time in Asia? Along with the rest of the day’s matches, we predict who will advance in Tokyo.
WTA Tokyo Day 3 Predictions
Linda Noskova vs McCartney Kessler
Head–to–Head: Kessler 1 – 1 Noskova
McCartney Kessler overcame an early setback to defeat Cristina Bucsa and progress to the Round of 16 in Tokyo. She fell behind 2-0 at the start of the second set, but she managed to recover well and surged ahead in the third to secure a 3-6 7-5 6-3 victory.
Sixth-seeded Noskova begins her tournament at this stage after receiving a first-round bye. After early exits in Osaka and Wuhan, she found success in Beijing, reaching the first WTA 1000 final of her career and landing in the Top 20 of the rankings.
Both players have traded wins this year, with both encounters going the distance. This one is expected to be close as well, with Noskova’s stronger record on hard courts thus far giving her the advantage.
Prediction: Noskova in 3
Diana Shnaider vs Anna Kalinskaya
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Diana Shnaider continued her strong performance in Asia with a straightforward first-round victory in Tokyo against Dayana Yastremska in just one hour and four minutes. Shnaider, who reached the semifinals in Ningbo last week, is aiming for another deep run here.
Her next opponent is Anna Kalinskaya, who also comfortably won her first-round match against Suzan Lamens for her first victory in three matches.
Shnaider appears to have some momentum following her recent positive results, but Kalinskaya can be a formidable challenge on this surface. All in all, I’ll side with the younger Russian who has shown more variety in their first encounter.
Prediction: Shnaider in 3
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Eva Lys vs Victoria Mboko
Head–to–Head: Lys 0 – 1 Mboko
Victoria Mboko snapped a four-match losing streak by claiming her first victory since the Canadian Open with a solid, straight-set win over fellow Canadian Bianca Andreescu in the opening round.
She will face Eva Lys, who also had a strong first-round performance of her own, demolishing Katie Boulter 6-2 6-1 for her seventh win in eight matches.
While Mboko holds a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head, the young Canadian has struggled to find consistency since her big win on home soil. The victory over Andreescu will boost her confidence, but it remains to be seen if it will be enough to get past the German, who is playing some great tennis on the Tokyo hard courts.
Prediction: Lys in 3
Karolina Muchova vs Maya Joint
Head–to–Head: First Meeting
Maya Joint appeared to be in trouble in the second set of her opening round match, but the teenager staged a valiant comeback against lucky loser Viktorija Golubic to move on to the next round of the Pan Pacific Open.
Joint will next face Karolina Muchova in the Round of 16 after Muchova again got past compatriot Marketa Vondrousova for the second time in a week, albeit via a retirement.
Joint has had an outstanding season and should generally provide a stiff challenge for Muchova. Still, if the Australian performs like she did in the initial stages of her first-round match, the match will be over before it begins.
Prediction: Muchova in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
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