Google News WTA TOKYO - MAIN DRAW: Home star Misaki Doi and reigning champion Yanina Wickmayer lead the field
by JOVICA ILIC
Japan Women's Open is a WTA International event and it will be played just a week before the other event in Tokyo, Pan Pacific Open which belongs to the much higher WTA Premier category. The tournament started back in 2009 and was played in Osaka until 2015 when it moved to Tokyo. Samantha Stosur was the dominant player in the early years, winning the crown 3 times, while Yanina Wickmayer was victorious last year, and she will be there to defend her crown.
The field is not very strong, due to the fact that the US Open was just around the corner and the top players need a much-needing rest before coming to Tokyo for the stronger event in 7 days time. Still, the crowd will have the chance to see some of the best Japanese players, led by the first seed Misaki Doi but also with Naomi Osaka, the most promising player from the land of the rising sun.
Kateryna Bondarenko, the 8th seed, is set to play against Doi in the quarter-final while Johanna Larsson, Shuai Zhang, Sabine Lisicki and mentioned Osaka will try to reach the semi-final in the second quarter. Talented Yulia Putintseva will for sure seek a title her, and her main rival before the semi-final could be Madison Brengle, seeded 5th.
Defending champion Yanina Wickmayer is the second seed, with some favorable draw before the last 8 stage where she could face Christina McHale. Main draw: [1]Misaki Doi (JPN) vs Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)
Alison Riske (USA) vs Nao Hibino (JPN)
Katerina Siniakova (CZE) vs Qualifier
[8]Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) vs Louisa Chirico (USA) [4]Johanna Larsson (SWE) vs Sabine Lisicki (GER)
[WC]Risa Ozaki (JPN) vs Varvara Lepchenko (USA)
Naomi Osaka (JPN) vs Anett Kontaveit (EST)
[6]Shuai Zhang (CHN) vs [WC]Eri Hozumi (JPN) [5]Madison Brengle (USA) vs Jana Cepelova (SVK)
Saisai Zheng (CHN) vs Qualifier
Tamira Paszek (AUT) vs Kurumi Nara (JPN)
[3]Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) vs Maria Sakkari (GRE) [7]Christina McHale (USA) vs Kateryna Kozlova (UKR)
[WC]Misa Eguchi (JPN) vs Qualifier
Magda Linette (POL) vs Qualifier
[2]Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) vs Viktorija Golubic (SUI) ALSO READ: Angelique Kerber is the Real Star of 2016!