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Match Details
Fixture: (1) Emma Navarro vs Kimberly Birrell
Date: October 4, 2024
Tournament: Hong Kong Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Hong Kong, China
Category: WTA 125
Surface: Hard (Outdoor)
Prize Money: $115,000
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN
Emma Navarro vs Kimberly Birrell preview
Top seed and World No. 8 Emma Navarro will continue her Hong Kong Open campaign against Australian Kimberly Birrell in the second round. Navarro is having her best season on Tour in 2024. The young American has a 51-21 record for the season and won her maiden Tour-level title.
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A string of impressive performances, that included a US Open semifinal saw Navarro break into the Top 10 of the WTA rankings. She entered the WTA 125 event in Hong Kong Open at the back of a disappointing second-round exit at the China Open. She lost 4-6, 2-6 to Zhang Shuai.
Navarro has been in exceptional form on hard courts this season. She won her only title at the Hobart International, winning against Elise Mertens in the final. The World No. 8 has reached a further 5 semi-finals on hard courts including her semifinal run at the 2024 US Open. At the Hong Kong Open, the top seed opened her campaign with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Viktorija Golubic in the first round.
Kimberly Birrell has not been a regular feature on the main WTA Tour. The Australian player has been extensively playing on the ITF Tour and the lower level events mostly. She last played at the China Open, losing to lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova in the first round.
Birrell had her best run at the Rothesay Open on the grass, reaching the quarter-final and losing to Diane Parry. The world No. 146 began her campaign at the Hong Kong Open with a dominant 6-2, 6-0 win over Chinese qualifier Yidi Yang.
Emma Navarro vs Kimberly Birrell head-to-head
This will be the first time the two players will be playing each other.
Emma Navarro vs Kimberly Birrell odds
(Odds will be updated once available)
Emma Navarro vs Kimberly Birrell prediction
Even though her first-round loss at the China Open was a blip in her form, Navarro has been playing at a very high level on the surface. She has won against top players like Aryna Sabalenka (BNP Paribas Open), and Coco Gauff (US Open) on hard courts. The American reached her maiden WTA 1000 and Major semi-final on the hard courts at the Canadian Open and the US Open respectively.
Birrell has a 15-16 record on hard courts this year. The Australian is yet to reach a final on the WTA Tour. However, she has 4 hard-court titles on the ITF Tour, the last of which came at the Fukuoka International this year, when she won the final against Emina Bektas.
Navarro is the top seed and a top-10 player who is in tearaway form on hard courts. This makes the American player the overwhelming favorite to win the match.
Pick- Navarro to win in straight sets
