Pronostici per Yexin Ma — Kimberly Birrell

Yexin Ma meets Kimberly Birrell in the Seoul Round of 16 on September 24 at 03:00 UTC. Birrell is ranked 60th to Ma’s 175th, but their recent meeting and their first matches here make the games handicap worth a closer look.

Ma has found her return rhythm

Ma came through qualifying before beating Emerson Jones 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 in the main draw. Jones, ranked 133rd, took the first set; Ma then won twelve of the final fourteen games, doing much of her work against the serve. Three matches on these hard courts have given her timing, though they have also added to her workload.

Birrell’s 7-6, 6-4 win over Tamara Zidanšek was less tidy than the score suggests. She recovered from 0-3 in the second set, but her service games repeatedly came under pressure. Her ability to recover is real: at the US Open, she saved match point before beating Petra Marčinko, ranked 75th.

Birrell needs more than the better ranking

Ma beat Birrell in straight sets on hard court in July, so there is a recent basis for trusting her in these exchanges. If Birrell’s first serve fails to give her control of the next shot, Ma should have chances to make the return games long and awkward.

Ma’s heavier schedule is the concern, particularly if this becomes a long match. Still, Birrell has not looked secure enough on serve in Seoul to make a comfortable win the natural expectation. The value sits with Ma +3.5 games.