Ningbo Open 2024 Day 2: Women's singles predictions ft. Karolina Muchova vs Olivia Gadecki, Ajla Tomljanovic vs Yuan Yue

The tail end of the season has players in action at the Ningbo Open this week. The tournament was supposed to be a showdown between Zheng Qinwen and Emma Navarro for the final spot at the WTA Finals.

However, Navarro's withdrawal has essentially sealed the spot in Zheng's favor, though it isn't official just yet. Top seed Jasmine Paolini also pulled out at the last minute. Nevertheless, there are quite a few big names still left in the draw.

Paula Badosa made a winning start to her campaign with a comeback win over Diana Shnaider. Teen star Mirra Andreeva also made it through her first-round duel, along with Wang Xiyu.

As the first round continues on Tuesday, here are the predictions for some of the matches lined up on Day 2 of the Ningbo Open:

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#1 - Karolina Muchova vs Olivia Gadecki

Muchova's comeback, which began in June, has gone off really well. She reached the quarterfinals of the Eastbourne International, the final of the Palermo Open, and the semifinals of the US Open.

Muchova recently made the final of the China Open as well and went down to Coco Gauff. She pulled out of the Wuhan Open after that in order to not overexert herself.

Four of Gadecki's five main draw wins came at last month's Guadalajara Open en route to her first career final. She beat Zhang Shuai and Anna Bondar in straight sets to qualify for the main draw of the Ningbo Open.

Muchova has tallied more wins this year than Gadecki has in her entire career. The Czech also has a 10-1 record against players ranked outside the top 50 this year, which further tips the scales in her favor.

Predicted winner: Karolina Muchova

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#2 - Katerina Siniakova vs Magda Linette

Katerina Siniakova was a quarterfinalist at last year's Ningbo Open. (Photo: Getty)

Siniakova has a 22-23 record in singles, with her best result being a semifinal in Cleveland, along with a quarterfinal in Berlin and Bad Homburg. She has tasted more success in doubles, with titles at Wimbledon and French Open, and a gold medal in mixed doubles, among other accolades.

Linette, meanwhile, has amassed a 28-25 record for the year. Her highlights of the season include a runner-up finish in Rouen and a title in Prague. She has performed quite well during the Asian swing as well.

Linette advanced to the fourth round of the China Open and followed it up with a quarterfinal showing at the Wuhan Open. Siniakova, meanwhile, has a 2-3 record in Asia this year and hasn't been past the second round.

The Pole also leads Siniakova 3-1 in the head-to-head. Given her recent form and her winning record in this rivalry, Linette will be expected to continue her journey at the Ningbo Open.

Predicted winner: Magda Linette

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#3 - Ajla Tomljanovic vs Yuan Yue

Following a first-round exit from the Thailand Open in January, Tomljanovic went on an injury hiatus. She returned to action at the French Open and fell at the first hurdle. She then finished as the runner-up to Yulia Putintseva in Birmingham, the only tournament where she secured back-to-back wins this season.

Since losing to Putintseva, Tomljanovic has compiled a 3-9 record. She came through the qualifying rounds of the Ningbo Open with wins over Carol Zhao and Ella Seidel and dropped a total of five games across those two matches.

Yuan claimed her maiden career title in Austin at the start of the season and advanced to her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal at the Indian Wells Open. She also made her top 40 debut at No. 36.

While Yuan's overall record this year is better than Tomljanovic's, though she has struggled in recent weeks. She has only two wins to her name during the Asian swing but her opponent has only one. In what will be their first career meeting, the Chinese has the clear advantage despite her own slump at the moment.

Predicted winner: Yuan Yue

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#4 - Ekaterina Alexandrova vs You Xiaodi

Ekaterina Alexandrova is making her debut at the Ningbo Open. (Photo: Getty)

Alexandrova has amassed a 26-24 record this season. A runner-up finish in Linz, along with a semifinal showing at the Miami Open, is her season's highlights. She also made the quarterfinals of the Wuhan Open last week and lost to another Chinese player, Wang Xinyu.

You beat Yulia Starodubtsewa and Priscilla Hon in straight sets to book her spot in the main draw of the Ningbo Open. She is now aiming to secure her first main draw win of the season, and the third of her career.

Despite Alexandrova's inconsistency, she has three losses against players ranked outside the top 100 this year, she will be the favorite to win against You. The latter hasn't made an impact on the WTA Tour thus far, and the 0-4 record against the top 50 players doesn't inspire any confidence in her either.

Predicted winner: Ekaterina Alexandrova