Hong Kong Open 2024: Leylah Fernandez vs Heather Watson preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Leylah Fernandez vs Heather Watson
Date: October 29, 2024
Tournament: Hong Kong Open 2024
Round: First Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Victoria Park Tennis Stadium, Hong Kong
Category: WTA 250
Surface: Hard-court
Prize Money: $ 267, 082
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - DAZN
Leylah Fernandez vs Heather Watson preview
Third seed and defending champion Leylah Fernandez will begin her title defense at the 2024 Hong Kong by taking on British opponent Heather Watson in the first round. Fernandez has won 26 out of the 48 matches she has played in 2024 but has yet to win a title in the year. The Canadian had her best run at the grass court of the Rothesay International, losing 3-6, 4-6 to Daria Kasatkina.
On hard courts, the World No. 32 has reached multiple quarterfinals. She reached the last eight at the Qatar Open, (losing 4-6, 2-6 to Elena Rybakina), Cincinnati Open (losing 5-7, 7-6 (1), 6-7 (3) to Jessica Pegula). Her last tournament was the Toray Pan Pacific Open, where she also reached the quarterfinals, losing 0-6, 6-1, 3-6 against top seed and eventual champion Zheng Qinwen.
Heather Watson has had no notable results in 2024 so far. The former World No. 38 has mostly played on W50 events and the ITF Tour. She has not made it past the second round in any of the tournaments on the main WTA Tour and has struggled to make it past the qualifiers to enter the main draw of events.
Watson's two best runs came at the Abu Dhabi Open and the Korea Open. In both those events, the Brit won three consecutive matches to reach the second round of the main draw. She lost 6-7 (1), 5-7 to Cristina Bucsa in Abu Dhabi and 2-6, 2-6 to Marta Kostyuk in Seoul.
Leylah Fernandez vs Heather Watson head-to-head
Heather Watson has a dominant 3-0 head-to-head record against Leylah Fernandez. The last time these two players met, the Brit won the Mexican Open final 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-1.
Leylah Fernandez vs Heather Watson odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Leylah Fernandez vs Heather Watson prediction
Leylah Fernandez has a 60 percent win ratio on hard courts in her career. The Canadian has reached five finals on the surface, winning three titles. She had her career highlight on the same surface when she reached the final of the 2021 US Open, losing to Emma Raducanu. She won the Hong Kong Open last year, which remains her last title on the Tour, with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Katerina Siniakova in the final.
Watson has reached WTA finals, only on hard courts so far in her career. The British player has reached five hard-court finals in her career, winning four titles. The last title she won was at the 2020 Mexican Open where she defeated Fernandez in the final to clinch the trophy.
Even though Watson has a superior head-to-head against Fernandez, the last time they played each other was in 2020 and their current form indicates the defining champion to be the favorite to win the match.
Pick- Fernandez to win in straight sets