Linz 2021: Emma Raducanu vs Wang Xinyu preview, head-to-head & prediction | Upper Austria Ladies

Match details

Fixture: (1) Emma Raducanu vs (Q) Wang Xinyu

Date: 9 November 2021

Tournament: Upper Austria Ladies Linz

Round: Second round (Round of 16)

Venue: Linz, Austria

Category: WTA 250

Surface: Indoor hardcourt

Prize money: $235,238

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | UK - Amazon Prime Video

Emma Raducanu vs Wang Xinyu preview

Top seed Emma Raducanu will take on Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu in the second round of the Linz WTA 250 event on Tuesday. Wang outlasted Kateryna Kozlova 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 to secure a matchup against Raducanu, who received a bye in the first round.

Raducanu rose to unprecedented fame after her historic US Open triumph in September. The Brit's ranking, which was well outside the top 100 before her New York exploits, has now shot up to No. 20.

Raducanu did feel the pressure of expectations in the immediate aftermath of the US Open, losing her opening-round match at Indian Wells. But she was able to collect her first couple of tour-level wins during a quarterfinal run in Cluj-Napoca.

The 18-year-old will now be looking to kickstart her maiden campaign in the Austrian city this week with another win.

Wang Xinyu during her match against Kiki Bertens at the Billie Jean King Cup

Emma Raducanu's opponent for Tuesday, Wang Xinyu, is in the midst of her most successful season. Wang reached her first WTA semifinal at the Prague Open, where she lost to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova. She also made the final at the WTA 125 event in Ohio, USA.

Wang's impressive results have propelled her to a career-high ranking of No. 106. The 20-year-old comes into Linz on the back of a quarterfinal run in Courmayeur, and will be looking to build on her momentum this week.

Emma Raducanu vs Wang Xinyu head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between Emma Raducanu and Wang Xinyu, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Emma Raducanu vs Wang Xinyu prediction

Emma Raducanu's superior ranking and recent success make her a big favorite for this encounter. But Wang Xinyu will have very little pressure on her shoulders, and will likely play as though she has nothing to lose.

Emma Raducanu at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open

Raducanu possesses a dependable serve as seen at the US Open, where she lost serve just seven times in as many main-draw matches. Wang, on her part, can also rack up a slew of aces, and often maintains a healthy first-serve percentage.

But if Raducanu stays assertive during the exchanges and manages to push Wang behind the baseline, she should be able to sail through.

Prediction: Emma Raducanu to win in straight sets.