The WTA 500 event in Tokyo features a very interesting clash in the quarterfinals, putting together two players on very different trajectories from each other. World number 16 Russian Diana Shnaider looks for a further cementing of her reputation as one of the circuit's top young players. On the other side of the net, Japan's Sayaka Ishii, ranked 279th, is playing with immense confidence in front of a home crowd. Ishii's underdog status is quickly forgotten, with her recently in great form, having won six of her last ten matches coming into this on a four-match win streak. Both players will come onto the court with different styles to make it a really thrilling match-up.
This will be the first meeting between Diana Shnaider and Sayaka Ishii, adding more intrigue into the quarterfinal. Neither player can draw from previous encounters as both will need to adjust on the fly to each other's games. This may very well come down to who adapts faster and which of these players can impose their style early in the match.
Claim Welcome BonusDiana Shnaider
Diana Shnaider comes into this match looking quite good following an impressive 6-2, 6-2 victory over Viktoriya Tomova, a match in which she dominated nearly across the board. Serving at a very respectable 80% first-serve and second-serve percentage, Shnaider had a good serve going, and to be able to break her opponent six times shows she will be very aggressive on return here. However, she arrives in Chicago in not so stellar form, recording a mixed 5-5 record in her last ten matches, and she will need to keep focus against Ishii.
Diana Shnaider will have to continue the aggressive baseline game, using powerful groundstrokes to dictate rallies and push Ishii on the back foot. First of all, her first serve, which has been really strong so far, will be of most interest as she will try to keep her service games short and not give Ishii any time to build her rhythm. The returning of serves, in particular, will be of much importance in Shnaider's arsenal against Ishii, who has not been entirely consistent with her service.
Sayaka Ishii
Far down the rankings list, 279th-ranked Sayaka Ishii comes into the quarterfinals with good momentum. She was able to defeat Zeynep Sonmez 2-1, showing great fight in bouncing back after losing the first set 4-6. Ishii has shown some service inconsistencies, apparent in her nine double faults and relatively low 58% first serve percentage in her last match. Yet, that excellent return game, in particular taking 65% of second-serve return points, has proven a big weapon. Ishii will also have the support of the home crowd, an emotional boost as she attempts to continue her dream run.
She will most definitely have to rely on the return game to neutralize Shnaider's strong serve. Ishii has shown that she is capable of really effective return games, but the biggest challenge will be holding onto her own service games. Her nine double faults in the previous match were quite a concern, and Shnaider will more than likely take advantage of any kind of weakness in her serve. Tactically, Ishii needs to prolong the rallies and make Shnaider hit more balls, after which she can frustrate her into hitting unforced errors-especially if she managed to exploit Shnaider's occasionally inconsistent second serve.
Expert Betting Tips
With her superior ranking and well-rounded game, Diana Shnaider will be considered the favorite for this match. Her capacity to dominate both on serve and on return, along with experience playing higher levels, should make a great difference in this match against Ishii. Recent victory against Tomova only showcased the power of Shnaider with high first-serve percentages and the number of converted break points. If she can maintain that level, it's hard to see Ishii causing too much trouble.
But Sayaka Ishii won't be taken lightly either. The recent form in special has the four-match winning run show she is playing some of her good tennis. And the fight that Ishii put up in the three-set win against Sonmez really showed an attitude full of fight, and with Tokyo's crowd going for her, she might channel all that energy and put up a fight way above her ranking. However, the discrepancy in serving statistics and her struggle with double faults could be expensive against a player of Shnaider's caliber.
Ultimately, the match will come down to how well Ishii can find a way to cope with Shnaider's heavy serve and how well she can maintain her own serve solid to avoid being continually broken. While home crowd advantage and fighting spirit will be positives for Ishii, class and tactical acumen ought to see Shnaider through.
- Diana Shnaider Under 12.5 Games @ 1.63 Odds
- Under 19.5 Games @ 1.69 Odds
- Diana Shnaider Wins 2-0 @ 1.44 Odds
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