Wednesday brings second-round action at the WTA Seoul 250 event, with seven of the eight seeds still alive in the draw and a pair of South Korean players looking to extend their remarkable home runs. Ranking points and prize money are on the line as we head into the quarterfinal picture, and there are some genuinely interesting matchups to work through today.
These two have met once before apiece, so neither has a commanding psychological edge heading in. Volynets has been in excellent touch lately, winning her second WTA 125 title and then backing that up with a thoroughly dominant 6-3 6-0 demolition of Elvina Kalieva in round one here. There is real momentum behind her game right now, and she looks like a player who is growing in confidence with every match she plays.
Rakhimova came through her opener in three sets against a fellow Uzbek, but it was far from convincing. She pumped in 12 double faults and was wasteful on break point chances throughout, which is not the kind of form that inspires confidence against a player hitting as cleanly as Volynets. Both of these women are grinders at heart, comfortable in long baseline exchanges, so expect the match to swing back and forth before Volynets finds a way to close it out.
Back Da-yeon is one of two home players keeping the Korean crowd on their feet this week, having beaten Yuan Yue in three sets to record her fourth WTA Tour level victory. She comes in with nothing to fear and everything to gain, playing in front of a crowd that will be fully behind her. Joint has had a fascinating 2026, recovering from a dreadful run of ten straight losses before famously beating Serena Williams in a high profile Wimbledon match that got the whole tennis world talking.
Since that moment Joint has been a touch more consistent, but her first round win over world number 284 Yao Xinxin was not particularly convincing. She did not look fully switched on, and Back will make her work every bit as hard. Still, Joint has the higher ceiling and the experience of navigating tricky situations this year. Expect a tight three sets before the Australian edges through.
Astakhova grabbed attention on Monday by beating Magda Linette for her first WTA Tour victory, which is a genuinely impressive scalp for a 24 year old still finding her feet at this level. The problem now is that backing up a breakthrough win is often the hardest thing to do, especially when the expectation and pressure that comes with it kicks in.
Korneeva looks like a completely different proposition. She coasted through her first round against Mananchaya Sawangkaew, dropping just six games, and a strong North American summer has pushed her well inside the top 100. She is targeting her second WTA Tour semifinal of the season and the draw looks kind enough for her to get there. Astakhova is a name to watch going forward but this feels like a step too far right now.
Park So-hyun provided one of the stories of the tournament so far, stunning Robin Montgomery 7-6 6-3 to claim her first ever WTA Tour victory and earn herself a jump of nearly 30 spots in the world rankings. As a world number 329, that is a genuinely life changing result, and the home crowd will be desperate to see her go further. Tararudee had a bumpier ride in round one against Moyuka Uchijima, navigating twists before getting through.
What matters here is that Tararudee holds a 2-0 head to head record over Park and has been quietly climbing the rankings in 2026 by beating the players she is supposed to beat. The Thai number one has a solid baseline game and with the nerves of the opener now behind her, she should move through the gears more smoothly here. Park will give plenty, but Tararudee is the more experienced and complete player at this level.
Top Casinos
Top New Bookmakers
Top Offers
Top Rated Bookmakers
Armenia vs Latvia Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview
Featured Offerbet365Bet £10 Get £30 in Free BetsClaim Offer →Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as…
Best Football Bookies
