The Korean Open continues as Diana Shnaider faces Marta Kostyuk in a quarterfinal clash. Damien Kayat previews.
2024 WTA Tour
WTA 500
Hana Bank Korea Open
Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Centre, Seoul, South Korea (Outdoor Hardcourts)
Selected Quarterfinal- 20th September
Diana Shnaider (4) (11/10) vs Marta Kostyuk (6) (71/100)
This promises to be a titanic clash between two of the breakout stars on this year’s tour.
Russian lefty Diana Shnaider (pictured above) has been a real breath of fresh air this year. Armed with a wonderfully retro bandana, Shnaider’s powerhouse game has seen her pick up success on all three surfaces.
The first portion of her season was relatively lightweight (though she did pick up her maiden title at the Hua Hin Championships).
It wasn’t until June that we really started to see the best from the big-hitting baseliner.
She won her second title at the Bad Homburg Open and would go on to win her 3rd title of the season in Budapest.
She really enhanced her burgeoning reputation with a stunning semifinal run at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto. She eased past 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff in the quarterfinal stage, highlighting her ability to compete with elite company.
She reached the 4th round in Flushing Meadows, where she had the misfortune of running into an inspired Jessica Pegula.
She returned to action at this week’s Korea Open, breezing past Carol Zhao 6-3, 6-3 in her opener. She served efficiently against the Canadian, winning 72% of her first-serve points.
Unbelievably, she actually won a higher proportion of points on her second delivery (75%).
The Russian has turned into a consummate competitor, using that explosive lefty forehand to dictate the tempo from the back of the court. She has won titles on all three surfaces this season and she will come into this clash with plenty of positive momentum.
The 22-year-old Marta Kostyuk (pictured above) improved her 2024 record to 29-16 following an emphatic straight-sets win over Heather Watson (who must be considering retirement at this point in her career).
Kostyuk was utterly imperious on serve, firing down nine aces and winning 86% of her first-serve points (which is enormous on the women’s tour).
Kostyuk used to celebrate with backflips in the early part of her career and that athleticism has never left her. She is one of the greatest athletes out there and her ability to redirect power is almost unparalleled.
Having said all that, you could make the argument that her season has been a bit top-loaded and that the Russian is coming into this match in hotter form.
Kostyuk really looked amazing in the first half of the season, picking up runner-up finishes at WTA 500 events in San Diego and Stuttgart.
She reached a maiden WTA 1000 semifinal at Indian Wells and reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in Melbourne.
But this marks her first quarterfinal appearance since finishing runner-up in Stuttgart. To be fair, closer analysis reveals that she has hardly been playing poorly in recent times.
She picked up a back-to-back round of 16 finishes in the WTA 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati.
She then pushed eventual US Open semifinalist Emma Navarro to three sets in a riveting 3rd round match at the US Open.
Kostyuk’s versatility will pose an interesting challenge to the raw hitting power of Shnaider.
The Verdict: Shnaider to win in straight sets at 23/10
This will be their first career meeting. I think that Kostyuk could be taken aback by the sheer ferocity of Shnaider’s groundstrokes.
The Russian was a little rusty in her opener but still won 6-3, 6-3. She is 22-4 since the start of the Bad Homburg Open (excluding the Olympics).
I was impressed with Kostyuk’s serving against Watson, but the Brit was there to be demolished.
Kostyuk will also need to adjust to the awkward lefty serve of Shnaider and I think the Russian could overwhelm the Ukrainian (especially if she gets off to a fast start).
