Tokyo 2025 Qualifier R1 predictions: Women's singles ft. Ashlyn Krueger vs Dalma Galfi, Hailey Baptiste vs Elena Gabriela Ruse | Pan Pacific Open

The Toray Pan Pacific Open will kick off on Saturday with the first round of qualifiers. Six players will emerge from the qualifying rounds to join the 28-player main draw.

Marie Bouzkova is the top seed in qualifying, with Ashlyn Krueger as the fourth seed and fellow American Hailey Baptiste as the 10th seed. Former World No. 3 Maria Sakkari will also join the pack to battle it out in the coming days to secure their spot in the main draw.

Jasmine Paolini, Elena Rybakina, and Ekaterina Alexandrova have confirmed their participation in the WTA 500 event in Tokyo next week, while Japan's Moyuka Uchijima has received a wildcard.

On that note, here's a breakdown of first-round qualification matches:

#1 Ashlyn Krueger vs Dalma Galfi

Ashlyn Krueger at the Korea Open Tennis - Source: Getty

Ashlyn Krueger, the World No. 48, has struggled lately. She is on a four-match losing streak, with her last win on the tour coming in August.

Meanwhile, Galfi is on a more solid run based on her results in the qualifiers. She has won several matches in qualifiers recently, but has not made much of an impact in the main draws.

Those wins, however, give Galfi a slight edge.

Prediction: Galfi to win in three sets.

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#2 Hailey Baptiste vs Elena Gabriela Ruse

Hailey Baptiste at the 2025 Wuhan Open - Day 5 - Source: Getty

Hailey Baptiste enters this matchup having shown flashes of her best this season. The World No. 64 has registered a 28-23 win-loss record in 2025. She has had mixed results lately, struggling against top opponents after pushing deeper into tournaments.

Elena Gabriela Ruse has also had an up-and-down stretch. She holds a 9-6 record this year on the WTA tour. Her recent results include early exits in most events, although she has a runner-up finish in Libema to her credit this year. Given their respective form, Ruse might have a slight edge.

Prediction: Ruse to win in three sets.

#3 Marie Bouzkova vs Kimberly Birrell

Prediction: Bouzkova to win in straight sets.

#4 Nao Hibino vs Cristina Bucsa

Prediction: Hibino to win in three sets.

#5 Ena Shibahara vs Rebecca Sramkova

Prediction: Shibahara to win in straight sets.

#6 Alina Charaeva vs Himeno Sakatsume

Prediction: Charaeva to win in three sets.

#7 Anna Blinkova vs Katie Boulter

Prediction: Blinkova to win in three sets.

#8 Viktorija Golubic vs Sae Noguchi

Prediction: Golubic to win in straight sets.

#9 Zeynep Sonmez vs Maria Sakkari

Prediction: Sakkari to win in straight sets.

#10 Varvara Gracheva vs Emiliano Arango

Prediction: Gracheva to win in three sets.

#11 Eva Lys vs Yuliia Starodubtseva

Prediction: Lys to win in straight sets

#12 Suzan Lamens vs Aliksandra Sasnovich

Prediction: Lamens to win in three sets.