Jelena Ostapenko opened her Seoul campaign with a tidy 6-4, 6-1 win over Anastasia Zakharova, which is about as smooth a start as the top seed could have asked for. Playing on a wild card and ranked 32 in the world, she is the highest-ranked player left in the draw and the obvious favourite for the title.
Taylah Preston needed three sets to get past Himeno Sakatsume, winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. The young Australian has been building steadily through 2026 and has the clean ball-striking to trade from the baseline rather than retreat, which is the only viable plan against Ostapenko.
This match will be decided almost entirely by the Latvian's error count. Ostapenko does not adjust her margins, so the outcome tends to swing on whether the outdoor conditions at Olympic Park hold steady. Any wind and her unforced errors climb fast. Preston's job is to keep the ball in play a shot longer than feels comfortable and let that happen.
Ostapenko should still win, but a flat set somewhere along the way looks likely.
Ostapenko in three.