Day three at the WTA China Open in Beijing looks set to provide plenty of entertaining action for fans in the Chinese capital and around the world. A number of big names will be in action, but who will book their place in the next round?
China Open Day Four Predictions
Elise Mertens vs Petra Martic
Head-to-head: Mertens 1-0 Martic
It has been another impressively consistent season for Elise Mertens, but she has not managed to put together one standout week. She would surely dearly love to change that at the China Open. But she will face a stern test up against Petra Martic, who has also enjoyed a fine season. Neither woman has a realistic chance to make the field in Shenzhen, but a place at the WTA Elite Trophy is very much attainable for both. This looks set to be a close contest, but it is the Croatian who has made the better start to the Asian swing. Expect that momentum to take her to a narrow victory in this one.
Prediction: Martic in 3
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Kiki Bertens vs Dayana Yastremska
Head-to-head: first meeting
Kiki Bertens’ season has not quite recovered from the disappointing end to her French Open campaign where she was forced to retire after just four games of her second-round clash with Viktoriya Kudermetova. But she made an impressive start to her China Open campaign, battling past the in-form Donna Vekic in three sets. She will need to be at her best again when she takes on the fast-rising Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, who demolished Caroline Garcia 6-1 6-1 in the first round. Yastremska’s hard, flat groundstrokes can make her almost unplayable when she is playing with confidence. If she can find a repeat of her performance against Garcia, she should be able to punch her ticket into the third round.
Prediction: Yastremska in 3
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Simona Halep vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Head-to-head: Halep 1-0 Alexandrova
After her stunning Wimbledon triumph, Simona Halep has rather faded back into the pack, with her best showing since a quarterfinal finish in Toronto. But after a start to the Asian swing disrupted by injury, she looked back to something approaching her best in hammering Jiangxi Open champion Rebecca Peterson for the loss of just two games. Ekaterina Alexandrova, meanwhile, has been playing some very good tennis of late, despite a first-round loss in Wuhan, and impressed in rallying past Bernarda Pera in her Beijing opener. But with Halep in this sort of mood, there can surely only be one winner here.
Prediction: Halep in 2
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Elina Svitolina vs Wang Yafan
Head-to-head: Wang 1-0 Svitolina
Third seed Elina Svitolina has turned what had looked like being a poor season around with excellent runs to the last four at Wimbledon and the US Open. But her performances at regular tour events has still left rather a lot to be desired. However, she managed to pass the difficult opening test of Anastasija Sevastova in the China Open first round, besting the Latvian 6-7 6-1 6-2. Her strong finish to that match will surely have given her real confidence of avenging her 2-6 4-6 loss to Wang Yafan in Miami earlier this season. The Acapulco champion made an impressive start to her China Open campaign by dismissing her compatriot Wang Xin Yu and will have the crowd with her in this clash. But if Svitolina can play her best tennis, she should have enough to advance.
Prediction: Svitolina in 3
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