Petra Martić vs Misaki Doi Prediction & Betting Tips - Japan Open

Prediction published on 25/09/2023, 06:58  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 25/09/2023 at 08:00 in Tennis Predictions

Petra Martic meets qualifier Misaki Doi in the first round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. A tough match lies ahead for the winner in this outdoor hard court event is the scheduled opponent is fourth seed Maria Sakkari. The Greek player is in form after winning the Guadalajara tournament at the weekend. Martic started this event ranked 49th in the world but was as high as 14th three years ago. The Croatian is playing her first match since losing in the second round of the US Open. Her last three tournaments have seen her get through her first match but then lose in the next. Not since the Wimbedon Championships has the 32-year-old won two matches in a tournament. Her best run of the year was in getting to the final of the hard court tournament held in Linz, where she did beat Sakkari. Martic is 1-1 in previous matches with Doi. Both were played on other surfaces with just one match in the last ten years.

Misaki Doi is ranked 331st in the latest list but in 2016 was up to 30th. This is her final tournament before retiring due to back problems. The 32-year-old had to win two qualifying matches to get into the main draw. That didn't prove difficult as only three games were dropped against Rinko Matsuda and then scheduled opponent Ashley Krueger withdrew from their match. This is only Doi's second tournament since June of this year. Last week saw her play in Osaka but lost in three sets to then world number 191 Arianne Hartano. Her last tournament before that was an ITF Clay event where she lost in the final. This is only her second WTA tournament of the year. The other was the Australian Open where she lost in the first qualifying round. An ITF hard court final was reached in India in February. We go for Martic to win this in straight sets.