Diana Shnaider vs Lin Zhu Prediction & Betting Tips - Thailand Open

Prediction published on 03/02/2024, 11:19  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 03/02/2024 at 11:19 in Tennis Predictions

Second seed Zhu Lin is through to yet another Thailand Open final and will battle unseeded Diana Shnaider for this year’s title. Lin is the Hua Hin defending champion. Diana Shnaider defeated Lin last season in Nanchang in their first-ever encounter. She won in straight sets in the first round and will hope for much of the same here. The stakes are however different this time around and this could be a much tougher battle. Shnaider has advanced to only the second tour final of her career. The first came last season in Ningbo but things didn’t go as planned as she was only good for a runners-up finish. To advance to the final here, the 19-year-old Russian defeated Wang Xinyu in straight sets. It was her third successive 2-0 win here and her second victory over a top-three-seeded player. Shnaider’s run in Hua Hin has moved her up a massive 21 places to 87th place in the live ranking.

Zhu Lin won the title here last season. This was her maiden tour title and remains her only triumph at this level. The Chinese number three has been dominant in her run to yet another final and will hope to keep this momentum. Lin, who has compiled a 7-3 record so far this year, has won all four rounds here without dropping a set. She outdueled compatriot Wang Yafan in the semifinals by the loss of five games. Despite her run to the final, Lin has dropped 12 places in the live ranking and is now ranked 57th in the world. The 30-year-old is a strong performer on hard courts and has won a massive 335 matches on the surface in her career.