Also known as the Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis Tournament, Tokyo’s 2024 edition (WTA 500) took place between October 21 and 27, featuring many competitors who were already present in China or Japan. The spotlight is on the two main seeds, Qinwen Zheng and Beatriz Haddad Maia, both of whom have delivered impressive performances throughout the season. On paper, Zheng is the strongest contender for the title. Quite some outsiders too here. Veronika Kudermetova was also set to defend her 2023 title but fell at the first hurdle against Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova. The latter took on Diana Shnaider in R16 but lost in straight sets.
Both Canadian players, Bianca Andreescu and Leylah Fernandez, reached the quarterfinals. Andreescu exited at that stage, while Fernandez advanced, only to be defeated by tournament favorite Qinwen Zheng. Sofia Kenin, meanwhile, secured her spot in the final against Zheng by defeating Kasatkina, Boulter, and earlier Clara Tauson in a thrilling match. In her doubles match though she had to live through an injury scare. The American could never the less compete in the final but was unable to dismantle Qinwen Zheng’s immaculate form. The Olympic Champion came as a favourite, and flew home with the trophy.
Tokyo Open Final 2024
Qinwen Zheng (Chn) vs Sofia Kenin (Usa) 7-6 6-3
Our prediction:
Zheng to WIN vs Kenin. SPOT ON.
Overall tournament score: 7 out of 9 correct.
Tokyo Open Semifinals
Sofia Kenin (Usa) vs Katie Boulter (Gbr) 6-4 6-4
Qinwen Zheng (Chn) vs Diana Shnaider (Wrl) 7-6 6-3
Our predictions:
Kenin to WIN vs Boulter. SPOT ON.
Overall tournament score: 6 out of 8 correct.
Tokyo Open Quarterfinals
Katie Boulter (Gbr) – Bianca Andreescu (Can) 6-2 6-1
Sofia Kenin (Usa) – Daria Kasatkina (Wrl) 6-3 6-4
Diana Shnaider (Wrl) WO – Sayaka Ishii (Jpn)
Qinwen Zheng (Chn) – Leylah Fernandez (Can) 6-0 1-6 6-3
Our predictions:
Shnaider to WIN vs Ishii. VOID.
Kenin to WIN vs Kasatkina. SPOT ON.
Overall prediction score: 5 out of 7 correct.
Tokyo Open: Round of 16 Results
Katie Boulter (Gbr) vs Kyoka Okamura (Jpn) 6-1 6-2
Qinwen Zheng (Chn) vs Moyuka Uchijima (Jpn) 7-5 6-0
Varvara Gracheva (Fra) vs Leylah Fernandez (Can) 0-6 6-3 5-7
Diana Shnaider (Wrl) vs Viktoriya Tomova (Bul) 6-2 6-2
Sayaka Ishii (Jpn) vs Zeynep Sonmez (Tur) 4-6 6-2 6-3
Bianca Andreescu (Can) vs Beatriz Haddad Maia RETIRED (Bra) 3-0
Sofia Kenin (Usa) – Clara Tauson (Den) 6-7 6-4 7-6
McCartney Kessler (Usa) – Daria Kasatkina (Wrl) 6-3 3-6 1-6
Our predictions:
Sonmez to WIN vs Ishii. FAIL.
Kenin to WIN vs Tauson. SPOT ON.
Shnaider vs Tomova to go over 2 sets. FAIL.
Kessler vs Kasatkina to go over 2 sets. SPOT ON.
Boulter to WIN vs Okamura. SPOT ON.
Qinwen Zheng to WIN vs Uchijima. SPOT ON.
Overall tournament score: 4 out of 6 correct.
Tokyo Open: Round of 32 Results
Viktoriya Tomova (Bul) vs Veronika Kudermetova (Wrl) 7-6 6-3
Varvara Gracheva (Fra) vs Hontama M. (Jpn) 6-1 7-6
Zeynep Sonmez (Tur) vs Magdalena Frech (Pol) 1-6 6-4 6-3
A. Sasnovich (Wrl) RETIRED – Leylah Fernandez (Can) 7-5 2-6 2-5
Bianca Andreescu (Can) vs Mei Yamaguchi (Jpn) 7-5 6-3
Elisabetta Cocciaretto (Ita) vs McCartney Kessler (Usa) 3-6 3-6
Xinyu Wang (Chn) vs Sofia Kenin (Usa) 1-6 4-6
LL Sara Saito (Jpn) vs Sayaka Ishii (Jpn) 1-6 1-6
Kyoka Okamura (Jpn) vs Hailey Baptiste (Usa) 7-5 6-3
Nao Hibino (Jpn) vs LL Clara Tauson (Den) 2-6 3-6
Mika Stojsavljevic (Gbr) vs Moyuka Uchijima (Jpn) 4-6 7-6 6-7
Katie Boulter K. (Gbr) vs Priscilla Hon (Aus) 6-1 6-4
Results Tokyo Open – Qualification Finals, October 20
Sasnovich A. (Wrl) – Hon P. (Aus) WO
Hontama M. (Jpn) – Shimizu A. (Jpn) 3-6 6-3 6-4
Baptiste H. (Usa) – Okamura K. (Jpn) 6-3 7-5
Shimizu E. (Jpn) – Yamaguchi M. (Jpn) 5:7 1:6
Sonmez Z. (Tur) – Saito S. (Jpn) 6:2 6:3
Tauson C. (Den) – Ishii S. (Jpn) 6-1 5-7 5-7
Results Tokyo Open 2024 – Qualifications Round 1, October 19
Biggest takeaway from this round: Australia’s Kimberley Birrell could not compete while she was competing in a semifinal in the Osaka Open, and .. is through to the final!
Baptiste H. (Usa) – Koike E. (Jpn) 6-4 6-2
Kuramochi M. (Jpn) RETIRED – Shimizu A. (Jpn)
Sasnovich A. (Wrl) – Wang Q. (Chn) 7-6 6-0
Hontama M. (Jpn) – Kato M. (Jpn) 6-3 6-3
Zheng S. (Chn) – Hon P. (Aus) 1-6 5-7
Akita S. (Jpn) – Okamura K. (Jpn) 4-6 0-6
Noguchi S. (Jpn) – Ishii S. (Jpn) 2-6 2-6
Sonmez Z. (Tur) – Yamaguchi K. (Jpn) 3-6 6-0 6-3
Yamaguchi M. (Jpn) – Kaji H. (Jpn) 6-3 6-3
Birrell K. (Aus) – Shimizu E. (Jpn) WO
Hozumi E. (Jpn) – Saito S. (Jpn) 3-6 3-6
Tauson C. (Den) – Koyama H. (Jpn) 6-0 6-1