'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Eva Lys and Maya Joint will be among the big names in action on the opening day of the 2025 Hong Kong Open, one of the final stops in the Tour calendar. Both women have had breakthrough seasons and will look to end the year on a high.
While Lys takes on qualifier Kristiana Sidorova, Joint will lock horns with the seasoned Anastasija Sevastova. With plenty of tennis action lined up, let's take a look at the prospects of the top names in the fray:
Eva Lys vs Kristina Sidorova
Eva Lys will take on debutant Kristiana Sidorova in an exciting first-round encounter at the 2025 Hong Kong Open. The German comes into the tournament in career-best form, having recently made her biggest quarterfinal in Beijing and a solid run in Tokyo.
Trending
Her opponent has put together a solid 33-18 win-loss for the season, but those matches were played on the lower-rung ITF circuit. This week, she posted wins over Zarina Diyas and Haruka Kaji to book her spot in a maiden Tour-level draw. The teenager has shown an aggressive intent in her two wins.
Up against someone like Lys, who also likes to take the ball early, she will need to keep up the intensity. The German is also a great mover and has shown her affinity for the courts in this part of the world with solid results throughout the Asian swing. She even handed Elena Rybakina a rare beating in recent months for a first top-10 win in Beijing. Given her sky-high confidence, she should be able to withhold the teenager's charge for now.
Prediction: Lys in straight sets
Maya Joint vs Anastasija Sevastova
The fast-rising Maya Joint will lock horns with the seasoned Anastasija Sevastova in a clash of contrasting styles in another opening-round encounter at the 2025 Hong Kong Open.
The Aussie has already made a name for herself at the age of 19, winning two titles on two different surfaces (clay in Rabat and grass in Eastbourne) to reach a career-high ranking No. 51.
Sevastova, meanwhile, is on a comeback trail. She returned to action after a maternity leave early in the year and has had mixed results. She did reach the second week of the Canadian Open, even notching up a top-10 win over Jessica Pegula, but has only managed to log 10 wins against 11 losses over the season.
Joint will come into the contest high on confidence. Her aggressive style is well-suited for quick conditions and she has posted decent results in Asia (a semifinal in Korea being the highlight). Sevastova's variety and defensive prowess, meanwhile, works better on clay. She has also won only two matches in her three tournaments since the Canadian Open and will need to step up significantly to threaten Joint.
Prediction: Joint in straight sets
Other Hong Kong Open 2025 predictions:
Wang Yafan to def. Madison Inglis in straight sets
Ajla Tomljanovic to def. Moko Kobori in straight sets
Victoria Morvayova to def. Hong Yi Cody Wong in three sets
Cristina Bucsa to def. Yi-Xin Ma in straight sets
