Korea Open 2024 Day 4: Women's doubles predictions ft. Sloane Stephens/Jang Su-jeong vs Zhang Shuai/Miyu Kato
The top players on tour are currently in action at the WTA 500 Korea Open. The first three days of event have already featured some thrilling matches and high-quality tennis so far.
Ajla Tomjlanovic of Australia and Emma Raducanu of Great Britain began on a positive note in the first round. While Tomjlanovic edged past Su-Jeong Jang in a three-set match, Raducanu showed her class by defeating Peyton Sterans in straight sets.
In the doubles event, Giuliana Olmos and Alexandra Panova made light work of Ekaterina Alexandrova and Yana Sizikova in the second round. The Japanese pair of Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi put up a spirted performance against Xinyu Jiang and Fang-hsien Wu, but still came up short in the last eight.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the upcoming matches scheduled for Day 4 of the Korea Open.
1) Veronika Kudermetova/ Hao-Ching Chan vs Viktoria Tomova/ Makoto Ninomiya
First up, Veronika Kudermetova and Hao-Ching Chan will take on Viktoria Tomova and Makoto Ninomiya in the quarterfinals.
Kudermetova is having a brilliant tournament so far and is also through to the quarterfinals in the singles event. She partnered alongside Hao-Ching Chan in the US Open and reached the semifinals. The duo are the top seeds in Seoul and are expected to make a deep run.
Viktoria Tomova and Makoto Ninomiya, meanwhile, havent played a lot of tennis together this year. They showed their resilince with a hard-fought win in the second round and will be keen to present a stern challenge in the quarterfinals next. Considering their experience as a team and results this year, Kudermetova and Chan should be able to solve this riddle.
Pick: Veronika Kudermetova and Hao-Ching Chan to win in three sets.
2) Sloane Stephens/Jang Su-jeong vs Zhang Shuai/Miyu Kato - Korea Open 2024
Next up, Sloane Stephens and Jang Su-jeong will take on Zhang Shuai and Miyu Kato in the quarterfinals. Stephens has been out of form on the main tour by amassing early exits in the US Open, Guadalajara Open, and the Korea Open. She was stunned by Hailey Baptiste in the first round earlier this week.
The American has worked towards finding her rhythm in the doubles format and defeated Yulia Putintseva and Ajla Tomljanovic alongside Jang Su-jeong, 6-4, 6-2.
Zhang Shuai, meanwhile, also suffered an early exit in the singles competition of the Korea Open. She's partnered alongside Miyu Kato in the doubles draw and is through to the last eight. The Asian pair outsmarted Arantxa Rus and Ulrikke Eikeri in the previous round, 6-1, 3-6, 10-6.
Considering their recent performances and tactical acumen on hardcourts, Stephens and Jang Su-jeong should be able to pick up the win in this bout.
Pick: Sloane Stephens and Jang Su-jeong to win in three-sets.
3) Liudmila Samsonova/ Nicole Melichar-Martinez vs Giuliana Olmos/ Alexandra Panova
Lastly, Liudmila Samsonova and Nicole Melichar-Martinez will face Giuliana Olmos and Alexandra Panova in the quarterfinals.
Samsonova was the second seed in the Korea Open, but succumbed to a straight sets loss against Veronika Kudermetova in the second round. She steadied the ship in the doubles draw alongside Nicole Melichar-Martinez and outmuscled the Japanese duo of Kim Da-bin and Kim Na-ri 7-5, 6-4.
An intriguing contest will be on the cards next up as Guilana Olmos and Alexandra Panova have been in top for this year. The Mexicans secured a runner-up finish in the Monterrey Open and also reached the quarterfinals of the 2024 French Open in Paris. Despite a valiant effort against Desirae Krawczyk and Caroline Dolehide, they fell to the American in three sets.
The second seeds Olmos and Panova have more experience playing together and should be able to pass this test in the quarterfinals.
Pick: Guilana Olmos and Alexandra Panova to win in three-sets.