Hong Kong Open 2024: Katie Boulter vs Yuan Yue preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Katie Boulter vs (6) Yuan Yue
Date: 2 November, 2024
Tournament: Hong Kong Open 2024
Round: Semifinal
Venue: Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Hardcourt (Outdoor)
Prize Money: $267,082
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | USA - Sky Sports | Canada - DAZN
Katie Boulter vs Yuan Yue preview
Second seed Katie Boulter will lock horns with sixth seed Yuan Yue in the semifinals of the 2024 Hong Kong Open on Saturday, November 2.
Boulter has made it to the last four in back-to-back tournaments after her semifinal exit at the recently concluded Tokyo Open. The Brit secured three straight-set wins to make it this far in Hong Kong.
Boulter registered a straightforward 6-4, 6-4 win over Aoi Ito in the opener. The Brit emerged victorious, 7-6(7), 6-4, against Wang Xiyu in the second round after an intensely fought first set and a relatively routine second set. She then made light work of her quarterfinal opponent Anastasia Zakharova, winning the match 6-4, 6-0.
Meanwhile, Yuan Yue defeated wildcard entrant Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-3, to commence her campaign at the WTA 250 event. She came down from 0-3 down in the second set to overcome the former World No. 1.
Yuan then registered a comeback win, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, over Nao Hibino to reach the quarterfinals. She breezed past Tokyo Open runner-up Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-3 to make it to the semifinals for the first time since her title run at the ATX Open in March.
Katie Boulter vs Yuan Yue head-to-head
Boulter has a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head. The Brit beat Yuan 7-5, 7-6(1) in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open.
Katie Boulter vs Yuan Yue odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Katie Boulter vs Yuan Yue prediction
Boulter will aim for her fourth career title having come this far in the WTA 250 tournament. The Brit has been in decent form recently. However, she has not reached the levels she displayed in the first half of the season when she secured two titles.
Yuan, on the other hand, has been struggling to find consistency. The Chinese did not register consecutive wins for the last two months until the Hong Kong Open. She has also not yet faced a strong opponent in the tournament so far.
It will not be an easy fixture for either opponent on Saturday. However, Boulter who has already got the better of the Chinese on hardcourts this year is likely to go through.
Pick: Boulter to win in three sets.