By Ros Satar
- Katie Boulter [2] v Aoi Ito | H2H: First Meeting
- Heather Watson v Leylah Fernandez [3]
HONG KONG – Katie Boulter and Heather Watson book-end the action on Centre Court in their Hong Kong openers.
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Katie Boulter [2] v Aoi Ito | H2H: First Meeting
| Katie Boulter [2] v Aoi Ito | H2H: First Meeting |
| WTA Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $2,890 |
| First on Centre Court at 2pm (6am GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
After a great run in Tokyo, it is a quick turnaround for Katie Boulter who will face Japan’s Aoi Ito in the first round.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2024)
| H2H: | Katie Boulter (WR 29) | Aoi Ito (WR 156) |
| Tournament Previous Best | Debut | Debut |
| 1st Serve Return Points Won % | 36.4 | 40.5 |
| Return Points Won % | 43.6 | 47.4 |
| Break Point Conversion % | 40.2 | 60.7 |
| Break Points Saved % | 55.1 | 59.4 |
| Overall Service Points Won % | 59.1 | 56.9 |
Despite the disparity in their rankings, Ito’s time on the ITF this year has seen her in five finals winning two titles this year.
Playing Styles & Prediction
It has been a year of great progression for Boulter who has worked hard on her game, and the rewards are beginning to show. She won her biggest title to date on the hard courts of San Diego and defended her Nottingham title.
In terms of her experience, she is miles ahead, but Ito’s time on the hard courts puts her ahead on paper. She plays the kind of slicy-dicey game that could frustrate the higher ranked Brit. Ito can change direction on a dime and while Boulter has worked a lot on her movement, she could find herself caught out against a more wily opponent.
Prediction: Boulter in three sets.
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Heather Watson v Leylah Fernandez [3] | H2H: Watson leads 3-0
| Heather Watson v Leylah Fernandez [3] | H2H: Watson leads 3-0 |
| WTA Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $2,890 |
| Fourth on Centre Court, not before 6:30pm (12:30pm) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Heather Watson has an enviable 3-0 lead in her head to head with Leylah Fernandez, which could make this a trickier encounter than the defending champion might want to start.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2024)
| H2H: | Heather Watson (WR 139) | Leylah Fernandez (WR 32) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R16 (2016) | Title (2023) |
| 1st Serve Return Points Won % | 34.3 | 35.0 |
| Return Points Won % | 43.3 | 43.2 |
| Break Point Conversion % | 43.4 | 45.0 |
| Break Points Saved % | 57.3 | 53.1 |
| Overall Service Points Won % | 58.1 | 56.5 |
While it has been a while since Watson has been at the upper end of the rankings, she will have gained some confidence with her run to the Shrewsbury final and her stats this year put her close to Fernandez.
Playing Styles & Prediction
Watson has had a few decent results at the lower tiers, to help build up her confidence, but this is a tough start to her Hong campaign, although she does seem to have the measure of Fernandez’ game in the past.
A lot has happened though, with Fernandez losing out to Emma Raducanu at the US Open in 2021, and all Watson’s victories including the Acapulco final, came pre-pandemic. It will take some monumental hitting from Watson to get the better of the Canadian.
Prediction: Fernandez in two sets.
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