Wuhan Open 2024: Donna Vekic vs Yulia Putintseva preview, head-to-head, prediction, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (15) Donna Vekic vs Yulia Putintseva
Date: October 9, 2024
Tournament: Wuhan Open 2024
Round: Second round (Round of 32)
Venue: Optics Valley International Tennis Center, Hubei Province, China
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $3,221,715
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime | Canada - TSN
Donna Vekic vs Yulia Putintseva preview
Fifteenth seed Donna Vekic will take on Yulia Putintseva in the second round of the Wuhan Open on Wednesday.
After a slow start to the season, Vekic raised her levels as she had a runner-up finish at the Bad Homburg Open. She followed that with a run to the semifinals at Wimbledon and also secured a silver medal finish at the Summer Olympics. Despite a spirited effort against Zheng Qinwen in the final, the Chinese beat her in straight sets 6-2, 6-3.
The Croatian entered Wuhan on the back of a third-round exit in Beijing. She started her campaign with a win against Elise Mertens in the first round. Vekic defeated the Belgian in three sets 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. She is making her fifth appearance at the Wuhan Open this year.
Meanwhile, Yulia Putintseva has had a good season on the women's tour this year. She's chalked up 31 wins from 48 matches, including a title-winning run at the Birmingham Classic. She also reached the quarterfinals of the Hobart International, the Miami Open, and the Madrid Open, where she lost to Elena Rybakina in three sets.
The Kazakh entered Wuhan on the back of a first-round exit in Beijing. She started her campaign with a solid win against Shuai Zhang, 6-4, 6-4. Putintseva is also making her fifth appearance at the Wuhan Open.
Donna Vekic vs Yulia Putintseva head-to-head
Vekic leads the head-to-head against Putintseva 4-2. The Kazakh won their most recent encounter in the 2021 Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, California.
Donna Vekic vs Yulia Putintseva odds
Odds will be updated when available.
Donna Vekic vs Yulia Putintseva prediction
Donna Vekic has shown vulnerability in the last couple of months. The Croat was outplayed by Mertens in the early going of their match in the previous round but fought back to settle the contest in three sets. Against a player like Putintseva, she will need to keep a check on her errors and perform at a high level.
Puntintseva, meanwhile, has learned from her mistakes this year. She hit a rough patch early in the year on hardcourt but steadied the ship on claycourt and followed it up with a title triumph on grass in Birmingham, UK. The Kazakh also showed great character to outlast Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon this year and will be determined to churn out similar results on tour.
An even contest looks to be on the cards in the third round of the Wuhan Open. Vekic will be the slight favorite on paper but is yet to find her clinical form in Asia. She could face a stern challenge from her opponent in this round and could find herself at the wrong end of the scoreboard in the third round.
Pick: Yulia Putintseva to win in three sets.