Lilli TaggervsNikola Bartunkova prediction · Wuhan Open 2026
Who will win Tagger vs Bartunkova?
Nikola Bartunkova, a Beijing semi-finalist last week, plays Lilli Tagger in the Wuhan Open first round on Tuesday. We back Bartunkova to win the match, most likely 6:4, 6:3.
- Predicted score
- 0:2
- Our estimate
- 67–70%
- Our pick
- Nikola Bartunkova win
- Odds at publish
- 1.37
- Set by set
- 4:6, 3:6
- Not before (UK)
- 04:00
Tagger vs Bartunkova at a glance
| Match | Lilli Tagger vs Nikola Bartunkova |
|---|---|
| Tournament | WTA · Wuhan Open, Wuhan · First round |
| Surface | Hard |
| Start | 13 OCT · 04:00 UK · 11:00 local |
| Court | Court 3 · Third match on court, after a doubles match and Sherif v Chwalinska (not before 12:00) |
| Our pick | Nikola Bartunkova win · 1.37 · bet |
| Our estimate | 67–70% |
| Predicted score | 0:2 (4:6, 3:6) |
| Main reason | Bartunkova, 20, comes in on the best week of her career: in Beijing she beat world No. |
Tagger vs Bartunkova: recent form
Bartunkova beat Sabalenka and Muchova in Beijing; Tagger has lost 4 of her last 5
- Won v Bejlek S. 6-3, 6-4
- Won v Krejcikova B. 6(5)-7, 6-3, 7-6(4)
- Won v Snigur D. 7-6(3), 6-2
- Won v Zhu L. 3-6, 6-1, 6-1
- Won v Montgomery R. 6-3, 6-1
- Lost to Gibson T. 4-6, 6-1, 7-5
- Lost to Starodubtseva Y. 6-3, 6-4
- Won v Korpatsch T. 6-0, 7-6(4)
- Lost to Anisimova A. 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
- Lost to Ruse E. 6-4, 6-2
- Won v Vidmanova D. 6-4, 6(3)-7, 6-3
- Lost to Mertens E. 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
- Won v Sherif M. 6-1, 6-2
- Won v Maria T. 6(5)-7, 6-2, 6-3
- Lost to Andreeva M. 6-2, 7-6(5)
- Won v Frech M. 6-2, 6-2
- Won v Sabalenka A. 6-4, 6-3
- Won v Kraus S. 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
- Won v Muchova K. 6-3, 6-0
- Lost to Andreeva M. 6-2, 6-2
Last ten results, oldest to newest; the ringed one is the latest. Tap a result for the opponent and score.
Show the matches
| Lost to | Ruse E.Beijing · 30.09.26 | 6-4, 6-2 |
| Lost to | Anisimova A.US Open · 03.09.26 | 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 |
| Won v | Korpatsch T.US Open · 31.08.26 | 6-0, 7-6(4) |
| Lost to | Starodubtseva Y.Monterrey · 24.08.26 | 6-3, 6-4 |
| Lost to | Gibson T.Cincinnati WTA · 14.08.26 | 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 |
| Won v | Montgomery R.Cincinnati WTA · 13.08.26 | 6-3, 6-1 |
| Won v | Zhu L.Cincinnati WTA · 11.08.26 | 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 |
| Won v | Snigur D.Livesport Prague Open · 26.07.26 | 7-6(3), 6-2 |
| Won v | Krejcikova B.Livesport Prague Open · 25.07.26 | 6(5)-7, 6-3, 7-6(4) |
| Won v | Bejlek S.Livesport Prague Open · 24.07.26 | 6-3, 6-4 |
| Lost to | Andreeva M.Beijing · 10.10.26 | 6-2, 6-2 |
| Won v | Muchova K.Beijing · 08.10.26 | 6-3, 6-0 |
| Won v | Kraus S.Beijing · 06.10.26 | 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 |
| Won v | Sabalenka A.Beijing · 04.10.26 | 6-4, 6-3 |
| Won v | Frech M.Beijing · 02.10.26 | 6-2, 6-2 |
| Lost to | Andreeva M.US Open · 05.09.26 | 6-2, 7-6(5) |
| Won v | Maria T.US Open · 03.09.26 | 6(5)-7, 6-2, 6-3 |
| Won v | Sherif M.US Open · 02.09.26 | 6-1, 6-2 |
| Lost to | Mertens E.Monterrey · 29.08.26 | 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 |
| Won v | Vidmanova D.Monterrey · 28.08.26 | 6-4, 6(3)-7, 6-3 |
A Beijing semi-finalist against the 18-year-old Prague champion, first meeting
- Tagger’s autumn
- She lost her first match in Beijing to Elena-Gabriela Ruse 4:6, 2:6 on 30 September. At the US Open she beat Tamara Korpatsch and lost to Amanda Anisimova 3:6, 6:3, 1:6. Before that she lost her first main-draw matches in Monterrey and Cincinnati, both as the favourite.
- Season and surface
- Bartunkova is 38-21 this season and 25-12 on hard courts. Tagger is 30-19 and 24-10 on hard courts; in July she won her first WTA title in Prague.
- Head to head
- They have never met.
Bartunkova wins 34.3% of her return games, Tagger 29.7%
| Stat | Tagger | Bartunkova |
|---|---|---|
| Season record | 30-19 | 38-21 (better) |
| On hard courts | 24-10 (better) | 25-12 |
| Last 10 matches | 6-4 | 7-3 (better) |
| As favourite | 25-11 | 26-8 (better) |
| As underdog | 5-8 | 12-13 (better) |
| Stat | Tagger | Bartunkova |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 23 | 38 |
| Aces per match | 4.1 | 4.6 (better) |
| Double faults per match | 2.9 (better) | 4.2 |
| 1st serve in | 65.9% (better) | 52.0% |
| 1st serve points won | 66.3% | 69.3% (better) |
| 2nd serve points won | 46.7% | 47.6% (better) |
| Service games held | 69.1% | 70.7% (better) |
| Break points saved | 51.2% | 55.7% (better) |
| Stat | Tagger | Bartunkova |
|---|---|---|
| Return points won | 41.1% | 43.1% (better) |
| Return games won | 29.7% | 34.3% (better) |
| Break points converted | 47.8% (better) | 45.4% |
Form rows: 2026 season to 12 October (Tennis Explorer). Serve and return: 2026 season, official WTA stats (Tagger 23 matches, Bartunkova 38).. We read the data from Tennis Explorer, Tennis Abstract and the WTA and ATP tours, and form our own view.
First meeting
Who do others back in Tagger vs Bartunkova?
| Source | Their view | Versus us |
|---|---|---|
| Dimers (model) | Bartunkova, 66.7% | Same side |
| Tennis.com | Bartunkova projected winner, 68% | Same side |
| The Stats Zone | Bartunkova to win 2-0 | Same side |
Tagger vs Bartunkova predicted score
Bartunkova in two sets
Both hold serve at a similar rate this season (70.7% Bartunkova, 69.1% Tagger), but Bartunkova breaks more often (34.3% of return games against 29.7%). After a Beijing week in which she took 12 of 15 games from Muchova, we expect her to set the pace: 6:4, 6:3. A 2:1 Bartunkova win still wins the bet.
- Predicted score
- 0:2
- 4:6, 3:6
- Alternative
- 1:2
- 6:4, 4:6, 3:6
Our Tagger vs Bartunkova pick: Nikola Bartunkova win
Bartunkova to win the match
Bartunkova, 20, comes in on the best week of her career: in Beijing she beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6:4, 6:3 and Karolina Muchova 6:3, 6:0 before losing the semi-final to Mirra Andreeva. She is 25-12 on hard courts this season and wins 34.3% of her return games to Tagger’s 29.7%. Tagger has lost four of her last five and has not played for 13 days. We expect a straight-sets win, most likely 6:4, 6:3; a three-set win also wins the bet.
- Our scenario
- 4:6, 3:60:2 in sets
- Alternative
- 6:4, 4:6, 3:61:2 in sets
What would change our mind Any news of a Bartunkova injury or fatigue before the match, or her price drifting above 1.45.
What could beat our pick?
- Bartunkova played five matches and 11 sets in 14 days; a dip after the best week of her career is possible.
- Tagger is 24-10 on hard courts this season and won the Prague title in July, beating Barbora Krejcikova on the way.
- Bartunkova puts only 52.0% of first serves in this season; Tagger 65.9%.
Bet
We back Bartunkova to win the match: a week ago she beat Sabalenka and Muchova on her way to the Beijing semi-finals, while Tagger has lost four of her last five.