Naomi Osaka vs Yulia Putintseva Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA China Open

Prediction published on 26/09/2024, 07:19  by Kennedy Kechula | Modified on 26/09/2024 at 07:23 in Tennis Predictions

A top match at the China Open will see Naomi Osaka play 21st seed Yulia Putintseva this Friday. The second-round clash will produce the winner to face Marta Kostyuk or Katie Volynets. Let’s look at our prediction for this match.

Osaka saw off Lucia Bronzetti in straights to seal a winning return to a tournament she has previously enjoyed. The Japanese star, a former Beijing champion, has twice in three appearances made it to at least the semis.

Osaka won here in 2019, a season that also saw her win the second of her four Grand Slam titles. That was also the last time she competed in Beijing. The first-round win over Bronzetti saw Osaka claim 20 wins in a season for the first time since 2019.

This has enabled her to move 11 places in the live ranking to 61st. One of Osaka’s wins this season was against Putintseva, a straight-sets victory at the Billie Jean Cup.

Yulia Putintseva is back in Beijing for the seventh time. She will be targeting to advance past the second round for the first time. Putintseva has suffered three second-round defeats here including last season.

The Kazakh arrives for this event in unimpressive form. She lost her last two fixtures and three of her latest five outings. But as she has the upper hand in this fixture with Osaka, she will be confident of making a winning return here.

Putintseva has compiled a 35-19 record, which produced title success in Birmingham as well as fourth-round finishes at Wimbledon and Indian Wells. The 29-year-old, who is currently ranked 33rd in the live ranking, also made runs to the quarter-finals in Hobart, Miami and Madrid.