Paula Badosa
After receiving a first-round bye, top seed Paula Badosa will lock horns with World No. 36 Qinwen Zheng in the second round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open 2022
After suffering a loss in the round of 32 in Adelaide, Paula Badosa came back strongly to win the title in Sydney. The world No. 4 has not managed to win a tournament since then.
The Spaniard has blown hot and cold during the course of the season. She reached the semis at the Indian Wells Masters, the Stuttgart Open, and most recently, the Silicon Valley Classic. However, her results leading up to the Toray Pan Pacific Open have been quite ordinary compared to her lofty standards. She crashed out in the round of 32 in Montreal and Cincinnati before being ousted in the second round at Flushing Meadows.
The Chinese tennis pro began the year on a strong note with a run to the semifinals in Melbourne. She won an ITF event in the USA but her performances in the following WTA events were not that great. This was until she won the WTA 125 event in Valencia by defeating compatriot Wang Xiyu in the final.
After a few more disappointing results in the following tournaments, the 19-year-old managed to reach the quarter-final stage in Montreal. At the US Open, Zheng reached the third round before losing to Jule Niemeier. Zheng started her campaign in Tokyo with a comprehensive win against Misaki Doi. The Chinese sensation won 19 points in a row during the match.
The head-to-head currently stands at 0-0 as the two players have never faced each other as of now.
Prediction: Paula Badosa to win in three sets.
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