Zhibek Kulambayeva vs Sijia Wei Tips

Sijia Wei’s recent form and clay adaptability give her the upper hand against Kulambayeva. Her aggressive style should exploit Kulambayeva’s defensive weaknesses, securing a victory in this Changsha Open matchup.

Wei has been pretty terrible on clay this year so is probably worth taking on until she starts to improve. Kulambayeva is worth the punt.

Both players arrive after defeat in their most recent match so this is close on that basis but, Sijia Wei has the strongest recent form so holds the advantage, she played against better opponents compared to the players who Zhibek has met recently.

Wei’s dynamic play is likely to shine early, overwhelming Kulambayeva in the first set. Her ability to dictate points should give her a quick lead in this opening round encounter.

Wei is ranked higher than Kulambayeva and won 2-1 in their only previous encounter, but the first set ended in Kulambayeva's favour. Kulambayeva has won the first set in four of her last eight matches. Wei is coming off a 2-0 loss to veteran Shuai Zhang.

Sijia Wei’s attacking game and slight ranking advantage suggest she’ll cover the game handicap. Her ability to win points decisively should create a notable gap over Kulambayeva.