In addition to the Korea Open this week, the WTA 500 in Seoul, there is a WTA 250 under way – the Thailand Open Hua Hin THA, with a packed 32-woman field.
This is the second week of the Asia-Swing, leading into the China Open in Beijing and onwards to the season-ending championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in early November.
The Thailand Open, which is taking place at the True Arena Hua Hin, features Dayana Yastremska, Katerina Siniakova, Wang Xinyu and Magda Linette as the top 4 seeds.
The event, which is also known as Thailand Open II, is the second tournament to be held at the same venue, following the addition of a WTA 250 spot in the last calendar change.
The champion in January earlier this year was Diana Shnaider, who defeated Zhu Lin in the final.
As in Seoul, organisers have faced several notable withdrawals in recent weeks, including former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and 2022 French Open semi-finalist Martina Trevisan.
The top seed is Yastremska, the World No 34 from Ukraine, who will be looking to regain her form after 3 consecutive losses and no wins in the hard court swing.
She opens against Japan’s Mai Hontama, ranked 130, in their first meeting.
Siniakova is the 2nd seed from the Czech Republic, who has found consistency in 2024 with a 29-19 record, and is currently ranked 37.
She began on Monday against Australia’s Arina Rodionova, ranked 115, winning a cat-and-mouse affair in straight sets, 7-5 6-1, and could face Nadia Podoroska from Russia in round 2, who plays a qualifier, Ksenia Laskutova, who is also Russian, in her opener.
Wang Xinyu, the 3rd seed from China, is ranked 52, and meets a tough challenge against the experienced Mayar Sherif from Egypt, with a possible 2nd-round encounter against the winner of the match between Spain’s Rebeka Masarova and Anna Bondar from Hungary.
The draw also included two Americans, 6th seed Katie Volynets, who outlasted Denmark’s Clara Tauson on Monday, 7-6(2) 4-6 6-3, and Alycia Parks, who lost her opener to Germany’s Laura Siegemund, 6-4 6-3.
Siegemund moves on to take on Wang next after the Chinese 3rd seed saved 2 set points serving at 4-5 in the first set en route to defeating Viktorija Golubic from Switzerland, 7-5 6-1, for the first time in their 3 meetings.
Tamara Zidansek from Slovenia notched her first tour-level win since Roland Garros after coming from a set down to defeat Russian qualifier Tatiana Prozorova, 2-6 6-3 6-1, and she will meet Volynets in round 2.
In other Monday results, a 1st-round clash of Thai wild-cards saw 20-year old Lanlana Tararudee drop just 1 game against Thasaporn Naklo to post her first WTA main-draw victory, while Varvara Gracheva, the 8th seed from France, was a 6-1 6-4 winner over Australia’s Taylah Preston.
