Muchova, Lys, and Lamens Highlight Potential Upsets at WTA Tokyo Opener
TOKYO, JAPAN – First-round action at the WTA Tokyo Metropolitan Tennis Championships promises intriguing matchups, with several contests poised to deliver upsets. While Karolina Muchova is favored to continue her recent success against Marketa Vondrousova,challenges await Katie Boulter and Anna Kalinskaya as they face Eva lys and Suzan Lamens respectively.
The tournament kicks off with Boulter, currently battling to remain in the top 50, taking on a surging Eva Lys. Boulter navigated a challenging qualifying draw, nearly dropping her final match against Kimberly Birrell. Lys, enjoying a career-best season and ranked world #44, secured her main draw spot through qualifying as well, demonstrating strong form. Analysts predict Lys will leverage smarter point construction and consistency to overcome Boulter in two sets.
Further down the draw, Anna Kalinskaya seeks to break a three-match losing streak against lucky loser Suzan Lamens. Kalinskaya last recorded a win at the US Open in late August and has used a week off for recovery. Lamens, despite losing to Maria Sakkari in qualifying, presents a dangerous opponent capable of capitalizing on any lingering rust in Kalinskaya’s game, perhaps securing a three-set victory.
In a rematch from Ningbo, Karolina Muchova and Marketa Vondrousova will renew their rivalry. Muchova previously defeated Vondrousova 6-4,6-3 earlier in the Asian swing. Despite Vondrousova’s strong US Open performance, recent inconsistency and a loss to Muchova in Ningbo suggest a challenging path to revenge, with Muchova predicted to win in three sets.
