China Open 2024: Taylor Townsend vs Katie Boulter preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Taylor Townsend vs (26) Katie Boulter
Date: September 27, 2024
Tournament: 2024 China Open
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: National Tennis Center, Beijing, China
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $8,955,610
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Taylor Townsend vs Katie Boulter preview
Taylor Townsend will square off against 26th seed Katie Boulter in a highly anticipated second-round clash at the 2024 China Open on Friday, September 27.
Townsend entered Beijing with a 22-19 singles match record for the year, with her best result being a quarterfinal finish in Toronto. She also reached the third round in Cincinnati and the second round in New York during a relatively successful North American hardcourt swing.
Most of her success has come on the doubles circuit. She won her first Grand Slam women's doubles title alongside Katerina Siniakova at Wimbledon this year. Additionally, she reached her first mixed doubles final at home in New York with Donald Young, but they were defeated by the Italian duo of Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.
Townsend began her China Open campaign with a hard-fought 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Martina Trevisan.
In contrast, Boulter has had a breakthrough year on the WTA tour, as her impressive 27-16 match record suggests. She has won two titles this year: a WTA 500 event in San Diego, where she defeated Marta Kostyuk, and another at home in Nottingham, where she battled past Karolina Pliskova for the crown.
Boulter's performance since Wimbledon, however, has been somewhat underwhelming. Her North American hardcourt swing did not go as planned, as she lost in the third round in Montreal, was eliminated in her opening match in Cincinnati, and faced another disappointing defeat in the second round of the US Open.
Taylor Townsend vs Katie Boulter head-to-head
Taylor Townsend and Katie Boulter are yet to face off in professional competition so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Taylor Townsend vs Katie Boulter odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Taylor Townsend vs Katie Boulter prediction
Taylor Townsend has been impressive in singles since the start of the hardcourt swing in August. She has a record of 8-4 since Wimbledon and shows no signs of slowing down, while also excelling in doubles.
Katie Boulter in contrast had a fantastic first half of the season but has struggled to maintain that level since. She has a 3-3 record on hard courts since Wimbledon and has had difficulty maintaining consistency.
Despite her dip in form heading into the Chinese capital, Boulter still holds the edge due to her superior match record on tour this season, particularly on hard courts where she has also won a title. In contrast, Townsend has not yet advanced past the quarterfinals of any hardcourt event.
Fans can expect a thrilling contest between the two, as they are likely to bring out the best in each other. The outcome will ultimately boil down to who plays the bigger points better and takes the initiative to approach the net from time to time.
Pick: Boulter in three sets.