Tokyo 2025 Day 5 predictions: Women's singles ft. Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Sofia Kenin, Belinda Bencic vs Karolina Muchova

Day 5 of the 2025 Toray Pan Pacific Open will feature Sofia Kenin's quarterfinal clash against the third-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova. The 2020 Australian Open champion is the only American to make the last eight of the WTA 500 event at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo.

Sofia Kenin was the runner-up at the Pan Pacific Open last year and is searching for her first WTA title since March 2020. She hasn't been able to progress beyond quarterfinals since her runner-up finish in Charleston earlier this season.

Apart from Kenin, the quarterfinals will also feature another Grand Slam winner, Elena Rybakina. Kazakhstani star defeated Leylah Fernandez in the last round and is the top-seeded player in Tokyo after Jasmine Paolini's withdrawal. Rybakina is facing the 19-year-old Canadian, Victoria Mboko, in the quarterfinals on Day 5, and is the firm favorite for the title.

Here are our Day 5 predictions of the Toray Pan Pacific Open 2025:

#1. Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Sofia Kenin

Kenin at the 2025 US Open - Day 3 - Source: Getty

Sofia Kenin has a good start to the 2025 season, reaching the quarterfinals in Hobart, Dubai, and the final in Charleston. However, the World No. 25 has struggled to go deep in the second half of the season. After a first-round exit in the Ningbo Open, she defeated Moyuka Uchijima and Sonobe Wakana to make the quarterfinals in Tokyo. Kenin survived an upset against the 17-year-old Wakana in the last round, recording a hard-fought 6-3, 1-6, 6-7(2) win.

Ekaterina Alexandrova, on the other hand, is enjoying a breakout season. She made it to the fourth round of the three Majors for the first time and also broke into the top 10 rankings. The World No. 10 has also had a brilliant Asia swing so far, finishing as a runner-up in Seoul and Ningbo.

Prediction: Ekaterina Alexandrova to win in straight sets.

#2. Belinda Bencic vs Karolina Muchova

Muchova at the Toray Pan Pacific Open - Day 3 - Source: Getty

Belinda Bencic is up against the eighth-seeded Karolina Muchova in the quarterfinals in Tokyo. The Swiss player registered an easy 6-4, 6-3 win against Varvara Gracheva in the last round to reach the back-to-back quarterfinals on the Asia swing. Bencic won the Abu Dhabi title and has made it to the last eight at the five WTA tour events this season.

Karolina Muchova defeated Marketa Vondrousova in the opening round and overcame Maya Joint in the last round in Tokyo. Muchova is searching for her first WTA title since her triumph in Seoul in 2020. She also suffered a defeat against Bencic in Montreal this season and is unlikely to progress to the semifinals of the Pan Pacific Open.

Prediction: Belinda Bencic to win in three sets.