In the second round of the tennis tournament in Wuhan, Naomi Osaka will compete against Linda Noskova. Here’s a look at the matchup.
Naomi Osaka
The Japanese player is a former world No. 1 who dropped in the rankings due to maternity leave. She is gradually finding her form again, and her current No. 16 ranking is commendable. This season, Osaka won a Challenger title on clay, reached the final in Montreal, and made it to the semifinals at the US Open.
In her first match in Wuhan, Osaka faced Leylah Fernandez. It was a challenging match, but she won 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Given her experience, she is likely to continue advancing in the tournament.
Linda Noskova
The young Czech player, just 20 years old, is making a name for herself in tennis. While she hasn’t won a title this season, she has moved up nine spots in the rankings to No. 17.
Recently, Noskova reached the final in Beijing, where she lost to Amanda Anisimova in three sets: 0-6, 6-2, 2-6. Her first match in Wuhan was a long one against Yulia Putintseva, ending in a tiebreak with scores of 6-4, 4-6, 7-6. Despite a busy schedule, her youth should help with recovery.
Match facts
- Osaka has won 22 of her 30 matches on hard courts this season.
- Noskova has won 23 out of 37 matches on hard surfaces.
- The betting odds are: Osaka to win – 1.5, Noskova to win – 2.71.
Prediction
The two players have not faced each other before. Osaka comes in as a slight favorite, but this match will be competitive—Noskova is performing well and will challenge her. It is likely we will see three sets, but the predicted total is over 20.5 games.