Ostapenko faces Zakharova in Seoul as she chases sixth appearance at the tournament
Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko opens play in Seoul today against Russia's Anastasia Zakharova, marking her sixth appearance at the South Korean tournament where she has previously won the title and reached a final.
Latvia's top-ranked tennis player Jelena Ostapenko takes on world No. 109 Anastasia Zakharova today in the first round of the WTA tournament in Seoul. Zakharova, who has reached as high as No. 65 in her career, will face Ostapenko, currently ranked 32nd in the world.
The two players have met only once before, in Doha this past February, where Ostapenko came out on top 6:7, 6:3, 6:4.
Season form and career highlights
Ostapenko enters the match with a 21-18 win-loss record this season, while Zakharova stands at 33-26, a tally that includes results from lower-tier events. Over her career, the 29-year-old Ostapenko has claimed nine WTA titles, most notably the 2017 French Open championship and last April's clay-court title in Stuttgart. She also reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2018. By contrast, 24-year-old Zakharova has yet to win a major title, though she did reach the third round of the 2024 Australian Open.
Seoul track record
This will be Ostapenko's sixth appearance at the Seoul tournament, where her best results include the 2017 title and a runner-up finish in 2022. Zakharova, meanwhile, struggled here last year, falling in the first round.
Notably, Ostapenko had not originally planned to compete in Seoul this year, but later accepted a wildcard invitation and was seeded first in the draw. Match conditions are expected to reach around 28 degrees Celsius.
The winner of this matchup will face either Australia's Taylah Preston or Japan's Himeno Sakatsume in the second round.
