Tokyo 2024 Day 3: Women's singles & doubles predictions ft. Diana Shnaider vs Viktoriya Tomova
As the action continues at the final WTA 500 event at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Day 3 will feature second-round women's singles encounters and the opening doubles clashes for the remaining teams. Big names such as Leylah Fernandez, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Bianca Andreescu, and Diana Shnaider are set to headline action on Wednesday.
The tournament’s opening days saw most seeds advance, with Magdalena Frech and Xinyu Wang being the notable upsets. Defending champion Veronika Kudermetova was also sent packing by a spirited Viktoriya Tomova.
With the race to the quarterfinals heating up, eight women will take center stage on Wednesday. Haddad Maia will face off against Andreescu in the most anticipated match of the day. Fernandez will go up against Varvara Gracheva, while the in-form Russian, Shnaider, takes on Tomova.
In doubles, top seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, along with second seeds Demi Schuurs and Asia Muhammad, will headline the day's action.
So, without further ado, here’s a look at the predictions for some of the key matches scheduled for Day 3.
#3 Gabriela Dabrowski & Erin Routliffe vs Miyu Kato & Nao Hibino
Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe have had a decent 2024 season so far, winning one title together in Nottingham and reaching the finals at Wimbledon, Miami, and Toronto. Each of those finals was closely contested, with matches that could have gone either way. Routliffe also claimed the Cincinnati title with Asia Muhammad, while Dabrowski won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in mixed doubles alongside Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Most recently, the duo competed at the Japan Women's Open 125 where they advanced to the semifinals before withdrawing due to injury.
Their opponents, Miyu Kato and Nao Hibino, are teaming up for the first time this season. Interestingly, they faced each other in the first round of the Japan Women's Open 125 last week, where Hibino, partnering with Makoto Ninomiya, won the match. Kato has enjoyed more success on the tour this year, securing the Hua Hin title and reaching the finals in Birmingham and Seoul. Hibino, meanwhile, has not advanced beyond the semifinals.
Dabrowski and Routliffe enter this contest as the favorites thanks to their superior rankings and stronger performances on the tour this season.
Pick: Dabrowski and Routliffe to win in straight sets.
#2 Zeynep Sonmez vs Sayaka Ishii
Zeynep Sonmez will face local favorite Sayaka Ishii in a battle of qualifiers in the second round of the 2024 Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Sonmez has had limited appearances on the WTA Tour, with a 4-6 record heading into this match. Her best result came at the Jasmin Open, where she reached the quarterfinals. This week, she earned a spot in the main draw with wins over Kanon Yamaguchi and Sara Saito in the qualifiers. In the first round, Sonmez pulled off an impressive comeback, defeating seventh seed Magdalena Frech 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Ishii, on the other hand, has only played one WTA match this season, losing to Katerina Siniakova in a tight three-setter at Tennis in the Land in Ohio. She has shined on the ITF circuit, however, winning one title and making several deep runs. Like Sonmez, she fought her way through the qualifiers to reach the main draw this week. After beating compatriot Noguchi Sae in the first round, she upset top seed Clara Tauson, coming back from a set down. In her first-round match, Ishii cruised past Sara Saito with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory.
Though Sonmez has slightly more experience on the tour this season, Ishii has been in better form on hardcourts with a 71% win rate compared to Sonmez's 58%. With the support of the home crowd and her recent success, Ishii is favored to edge out her opponent in what promises to be a closely contested match.
Pick: Ishii to win in three sets.
#3 Diana Shnaider vs Viktoriya Tomova
Sixth seed Diana Shnaider is set to begin her 2024 Toray Pan Pacific Open campaign in the second round against World No. 49 Viktoriya Tomova following a first-round bye.
Shnaider has had an impressive season so far, securing three titles in Hua Hin, Bad Homburg, and Budapest while also winning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics alongside Mirra Andreeva. She has compiled an impressive 48-21 match record in 2024. Shnaider started her Asian hardcourt swing with a semifinal run in Seoul but has struggled with form since, suffering a second-round exit in Beijing and early losses in Wuhan and Ningbo.
Tomova, meanwhile, has a 31-30 match record this season, with semifinal appearances in Bad Homburg and Rabat being her best results. She also started her Asian swing on a high note, reaching the quarterfinals in Seoul, but has since faltered, winning just two of her last five matches. Most recently, Tomova was upset in the first round of the Japan Women's Open 125 by Suzan Lamens.
Despite a recent dip in form, Shnaider enters this contest as the clear favorite thanks to her superior overall record this season and her solid performances on hardcourts, even though it's not her preferred surface.
Pick: Shnaider to win in straight sets.