Tokyo 2025 Qualifier R2 predictions: Women's singles ft. Maria Sakkari vs Suzan Lamens, Katie Boulter vs Kimberly Birrell

Players will fight for a spot in the main draw of the Pan Pacific Open 2025 in Tokyo on Sunday, October 19. 24 women entered the qualifying rounds with the goal of advancing to the main draw. The field was cut in half after Saturday's matches.

Hailey Baptiste was forced to retire at the start of the third set during her match against Madison Inglis, while Ashlyn Krueger was upset by Dalma Galfi. Marie Bouzkova, the top seed in the qualifiers, was sent packing by Kimberly Birrell.

As players gear up to book their berths in the Tokyo main draw, here are the predictions for all the qualifying matches lined up on Sunday at the Pan Pacific Open 2025:

#1. Maria Sakkari vs Suzan Lamens

Sakkari beat Zeynep Sonmez 7-5, 6-3 in the first qualifier, while Lamens scored a 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Sakkari has a 24-28 record this season including wins at the qualifying level. Her best results include a fourth-round finish at the Madrid Open, along with quarterfinals at the Citi DC Open and the Linz Open. She recently lost in the first round of last week's Japan Women's Open.

Lamens was the defending champion there, and was ousted by Naomi Osaka in the second round. She has a 27-26 record this year, with her best result being a semifinal showing in Rouen.

Based on how both players have performed this year, this contest could swing either way. Both have 16 wins over top 100 players this season. Sakkari is a former top 10 player, though her current form is a far cry from what made her an accomplished player. Nevertheless, she could one-up Lamens if she starts firing on all cylinders once again.

Predicted winner: Maria Sakkari to win in three sets.

#2. Katie Boulter vs Kimberly Birrell

Kimberly Birrell at the China Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Boulter defeated Anna Blinkova 6-1, 0-6, 6-2 in the first qualifying round of the Pan Pacific Open, while Birrell toppled top seed Marie Bouzkova with a 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2 win. The Brit has a 16-20 record this season across all levels, with a quarterfinal at the Nottingham Open and the United Cup being her season's highlights.

Birrell also has a couple of quarterfinals under her belt this year, and she has a 24-22 record at the main draw and qualifying level on the WTA Tour. This will be her first career meeting against Boulter.

Boulter recently beat World No. 17 and China Open runner-up Linda Noskova in the first round of the Japan Women's Open. If she's able to play with that same intensity once again, then getting the better of Birrell should be an easy task for her.

Predicted winner: Katie Boulter to win in straight sets.

#3. Eva Lys vs Viktorija Golubic

Predicted winner: Eva Lys in straight sets.

#4. Varvara Gracheva vs Madison Inglis

Predicted winner: Varvara Gracheva in three sets.

#5. Dalma Galfi vs Cristina Bucsa

Predicted winner: Dalma Galfi in straight sets.

#6. Rebecca Sramkova vs Alina Chareeva

Predicted winner: Rebecca Sramkova in straight sets.

About the author

Rohit is a journalist at Sportskeeda who specializes in covering tennis. Having been with the company for four years, he has proven himself as a formidable force in the field. With a Master's degree in law, Rohit brings his analytical and research skills to the forefront as a journalist. He stays on top of the game by using social media platforms and never misses a match for on-court insights. He values giving credit where it's due, keeping his reporting fair and accurate.

At the outset of his career, Rohit found his niche in writing previews and SEO pieces and it's this expertise that continues to define his role at Sportskeeda. He is particularly proud of one article that garnered an impressive 750k views and surpassed his "wildest dreams." Rohit is not particularly fond of (GOAT) debates and it is one of the reasons why he left the legal world behind. He prefers to view players in "tiers," where they're all esteemed to an extent. However, if pressed to name favorites, he would choose Serena and Venus Williams. The Williams sisters' journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of tennis has been his greatest source of inspiration.

When he isn't busy making spot-on predictions about match outcomes, Rohit likes reading, particularly fantasy, sci-fi, and comics. As an X-Men fanatic, he's also passionate about board games and enjoys watching movies in his spare time. And don't be surprised if you catch him silently wishing to the tennis gods for the removal of ad scoring from doubles.

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Edited by Rohit

Tokyo 2025 Qualifier R2 predictions: Women's singles ft. Maria Sakkari vs Suzan Lamens, Katie Boulter vs Kimberly Birrell | Pan Pacific Open