Match Details
Fixture: (1) Aryna Sabalenka vs Katerina Siniakova
Date: 9 October 2024
Tournament: Wuhan Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Optics Valley International Tennis Center, Wuhan, Hubei, China
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize Money: $3,221,715
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Aryna Sabalenka vs Katerina Siniakova preview
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka will take on the Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova in the first round of the 2024 Wuhan Open on Wednesday (8 October).
Sabalenka has been in great form this year. The Belarusian has won three titles — two of which came at the Australian Open and the US Open — while accumulating a 49-12 win/loss record. The World No. 2 was on a 15-match unbeaten streak leading up to last week's China Open before dropping her quarterfinal bout to Karolina Muchova in three sets.
Siniakova, ranked 37th in singles, has endured a tough year on the pro circuit in 2024, as she has lost 21 of her 51 matches. The Czech's best result came at the Catalonia Open in May, where she won her eleventh-career title. That said, she has lost four of her last five matches and comes into this week's WTA 1000 event in Wuhan without ideal preparation.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Katerina Siniakova head-to-head
Aryna Sabalenka leads Siniakova by a margin of 1-0 in their head-to-head meetings on the tour. The Belarusian defeated her lower-ranked opponent in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Internationaux de Strasbourg.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Katerina Siniakova prediction
Sabalenka possesses arguably the biggest groundstrokes on the women's circuit. The 26-year-old has also improved her physical conditioning a lot over the last few years. The two-time Wuhan Open defending champion is expected to come out swinging for the fences in her opener at the tournament, considering she is in a close tussle for the year-end World No. 1 ranking right now.
Siniakova is coming into the match with relatively much less pressure. The 28-year-old is a doubles specialist; she has great variety and shot selection, which will come in handy in disrupting Sabalenka's rhythm from the baseline. However, her first serve is underpowered and will likely be attacked by her 5'11" opponent.
Pick: Sabalenka in straight sets.