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McCartney Kessler and Diana Shnaider will be among the big names in action on Day 3 of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Both women are scheduled to play their respective second-round encounters on Wednesday (October 22).
Besides the likes of Victoria Mboko, Karolina Muchova, Eva Lys and Maya Joint will also be in action. With plenty of tennis lined up, let's take a look at the prospects of some of the big name in the fray:
McCartney Kessler vs Linda Noskova
McCartney Kessler and Linda Noskova will lock horns in the first match of the day at the Pan Pacific Open. Both players have had successful Asian swings, with the former making deep runs at Beijing and Ningbo and the latter reaching the final at China Open.
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Noskova is the more powerful player of the two off the ground. When pitted against solid counterpunchers, however, her winner count can often be offset by unforced errors. The same was evident in her first-round loss to Katie Boulter in Osaka last week. Unfortunately for her, Kessler possesses the steady baseline game needed to frustrate opponents into overpressing.
The American was her fighting best against Cristina Bucsa in her opener, coming back from a set down to clinch the win. Throughout the match, she also managed to protect her serve relatively well, getting broken only on three occasions. She was winning an emphatic 75% of the first serve points and will look to pick up right where she left off.
A lot will depend on how dialled-in Noskova is on her groundstrokes. Any slip-ups could come back to haunt her against an in-form opponent.
Prediction: Kessler in three sets
Diana Shaider vs Anna Kalinskaya
The other big match at the Pan Pacific Open will have two big ball-strikers, Diana Shnaider and Anna Kalinskaya, slug it out for a quarterfinal spot.
Shnaider has struggled for form this year after a brilliant 2024 season (when she won four titles) that saw her climb to a career-high ranking of No. 11 early this year. She has finally found some form in recent months, reaching a final in Monterrey and a semifinal in Osaka. She was also in full flight during her 6-3, 6-1 win over Dayana Yastremska in her opener here.
As for Kalinskaya, the 2025 season has been marred with injuries. She showed signs of revival by making the Washington final in July and a solid US Open swing, but has won only one match in her three tournaments during the Asian swing.
Depsite their recent run of form, both women are capable of blowing their opponents off court with big groundstrokes. In a tight match-up like this, the lack of match practice and time on court may just end up costing Kalinskaya.
Prediction: Shnaider in two tight sets
Other Pan Pacific Open predictions
Eva Lys to def. Victoria Mboko in three sets
Karolina Muchova to def. Maya Joint in three sets
