Tokyo 2022: Women's singles draw analysis, preview & prediction | Toray Pan Pacific Open

The 2022 Pan Pacific Open is one of four tournaments taking place across the ATP and WTA tours in a busy tennis week. The WTA 500 event, set to be held from September 19-25, is coming back to the tour after a gap of three years as the last couple of editions were canned due to the pandemic.

World No. 4 Paula Badosa is the top seed, followed by the in-form Caroline Garcia. Two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza is the third seed, with World No. 13 Veronika Kudermetova being seeded fourth. The top four seeds have all received a bye into the second round.

Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka is the defending champion. Also in the mix are 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin, reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and two-time Grand Slam finalist Karolina Pliskova.

With plenty of top players in action, it promises to be an exciting week in the Japanese capital. On that note, let's take a look at how the Pan Pacific Open draw could pan out over the next week:

Top half: Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka and Sofia Kenin aiming for better results

Seeded players: (1) Paula Badosa, (4) Veronika Kudermetova, (5) Beatriz Haddad Maia and (7) Alison Riske-Amritraj

Expected semifinal: Paula Badosa vs Veronika Kudermetova

Dark horse: Daria Saville

Analysis: Top seed Paula Badosa started the season on a strong note, but her recent results leave much to be desired. She won her third career title in Sydney at the start of the year and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open. She performed consistently over the next few months as well.

Badosa reached the semifinals of the Silicon Valley Classic in the lead-up to the US Open. She failed to win matches in Toronto and Cincinnati. Her woes continued at the US Open, where she lost in the second round. She's back in action now, and could begin her Pan Pacific Open campaign against Chinese teenager Qinwen Zheng.

The 19-year-old has soared all the way to the top 40 in the rankings with her good results this year. She certainly has the potential to upset Badosa. If the Spaniard gets past Zheng, she could meet either Alison Riske or Elise Mertens in the quarterfinals.

Badosa should be the favorite on paper to win her quarterfinal clash, but based on her recent form, the match could swing either way.

Fourth seed Veronika Kudermetova has reached three finals in singles this year. She has also done well in doubles, scooping up a couple of titles this season. The Russian could meet either Sofia Kenin or a qualifier in the second round. The American has won just four matches this year and could lose in the opening round yet again. Kudermetova seems poised to reach the last eight from here.

Fifth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia is up against Yuki Naito in the first round. The Brazilian has had some great results over the last few months. Fresh off a quarterfinal finish at the Slovenia Open, she should easily get past her first opponent.

Naomi Osaka will begin her title defense against Daria Saville. The four-time Major champion has struggled for most of the season. She enters the tournament on a four-match losing streak, including an opening-round exit at the US Open. If she doesn't step up her game, it's likely to be an easy win for Saville.

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The winner will take on Haddad Maia in the second round, with the Brazilian likely to emerge victorious and set up a quarterfinal showdown with Kudermetova. The Russian has been more consistent, so she'll have the edge heading into that encounter.

Predicted semifinal: Paula Badosa vs Veronika Kudermetova

Bottom half: Carolina Garcia looking to continue her good run of form at the Pan Pacific Open

Seeded players: (2) Caroline Garcia, (3) Garbine Muguruza, (6) Karolina Pliskova and (8) Elena Rybakina

Expected semifinal: Caroline Garcia vs Garbine Muguruza

Dark horse: Petra Martic

Analysis: Caroline Garcia's remarkable resurgence has been one of the talking points in the second half of the season. She has won three titles over the last few months and also reached her maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open. The 28-year-old has won a lot of matches recently and will be aiming to continue that trend in Tokyo.

Garcia is likely to face Zhang Shuai in the second round. She's not an easy opponent by any means, but is unlikely to cause an upset here. The Frenchwoman could meet either Karolina Pliskova or Petra Martic in the quarterfinals. Both are up against qualifiers in the first round and could face each other after that.

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The former World No. 1 will be feeling confident following her run to the US Open quarterfinals and should be able to get past Martic. However, Pliskova will find it tough to get the better of Garica once she reaches the last eight.

Garbine Muguruza has struggled mightily this season, compiling a 11-15 record so far. She has won consecutive matches just twice this year. The draw gods have been kind to her, and she'll begin her Pan Pacific Open challenge against a qualifier in the second round. The Spaniard should be able to win the encounter and reach the quarterfinals.

2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina took a last-minute wildcard to compete here. She will face Liudmila Samsonova in the first round, whose 13-match winning streak ended in the fourth round of the US Open. She'll be keen to resume her winning ways yet again.

Rybakina's results since her Wimbledon triumph have been mostly disappointing, though she's currently in the semifinals of the Slovenia Open. She'll take on Ana Bogdan for a spot in the title round. The Kazakh's run there would've boosted her morale for sure.

The winner between Rybakina and Samsonova is likely to face Wang Xinyu in the second round, which should be a winnable match for either player. They'll take on Muguruza after that, who should be easy to deal with based on her current form.

Predicted semifinal: Caroline Garcia vs Elena Rybakina

Prediction for the final: Caroline Garcia def. Veronika Kudermetova