It should be an entertaining final at the WTA Guangzhou Open with Ann Li set to take on Lulu Sun for the crown. As always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for the final, but who will lift the title in China?
WTA Guangzhou Final Prediction
Ann Li vs Lulu Sun
Head-to-head: Sun 2-0 Li
Li has played some solid tennis over the last few weeks without really catching alight. Indeed, her best result of the Asian swing so far has probably been her run to the semifinals in the doubles last time out in Osaka. But she has looked sharp so far at the WTA Guangzhou Open, beating Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, Camila Osorio, and Elisabetta Cocciaretto – all without dropping a set – to reach the semifinals. There, her match lasted just seven games with Zhang Shuai’s retirement sending the American into the final.
Sun, meanwhile, started her week in the WTA Guangzhou qualifying where victories over Yuyao Li and Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah secured her place in the main draw. She built on that momentum by upsetting the top seed Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in her opener before dismissing Wang Yafan for the loss of only four games to reach the quarterfinals. There she battled past Caty McNally from a set down to set up a semifinal clash with Claire Liu that she won 6-0 7-6.
The Kiwi will surely take confidence from having won both of her previous meetings with Li, beating her at a canter 6-3 6-1 in their most recent meeting last year in Bonita Springs. But their careers have diverged slightly since then, with Li establishing herself as tour-level regular whilst Sun has not quite managed that level of consistency. That said, when Sun is on song, as she has been this week, she can take some stopping. If she can maintain her level, she might just have too much for Li for a third time.
Prediction: Sun in 3
Main photo credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images