Qinwen Zheng vs Jaqueline Cristian Prediction & Betting Tips - WTA London - Queen's

Prediction published on 08/06/2026, 03:54  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 08/06/2026 at 03:57 in Tennis Predictions

Qinwen Zheng and Jacqueline Cristian, both unseeded, will rekindle their rivalry in the first round at the Queen’s Club Championship in London. In their fifth career meeting and first on grass, our prediction goes against Cristian, who’s lost 12 of 14 grass-court matches.

Zheng had a strong debut in London last season, exiting in the semi-finals as the top seed. She will be keen to go a step further. Injuries have disrupted the former world number four, and she was forced to end last season as early as September.

Zheng returned to action in February and has played 13 matches, compiling a 7-6 record. The 23-year-old, who ended the clay season with back-to-back defeats, has plummeted more than 60 places in the live ranking and is out of the top 100.

Cristian defeated Zheng in their first two meetings and hopes to return to that form as she seeks a strong grass campaign. However, she isn’t a great grass player and has won just twice on such surfaces in 14 outings.

Last season, the Romanian lost all three fixtures she played on grass. This term, Cristian had a surprisingly poor campaign on clay.

A clay court specialist with almost 200 wins on such surfaces, she ended the clay season with back-to-back defeats and a 5-6 record. She has also tumbled down the world rankings and starts the week 38th in the live ranking.