After a thrilling start to the China Open in Beijing, the stage is set for the WTA’s stars to battle for a place in the quarterfinals. Ashleigh Barty, Petra Kvitova, Elina Svitolina and Kiki Bertens have already made it to the last eight, but who will join them?
China Open Day 5 Predictions
Caroline Wozniacki vs Katerina Siniakova
Head-to-head: Wozniacki 3-1 Siniakova
2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki may have to battle more than her fair share of injuries of late, but the Dane remains an excellent competitor. And when she plays her very best tennis, as she has done so far in Beijing, she can be almost unplayable. Lauren Davis and Christina McHale who won just eight games between them in Wozniacki’s first two matches in Beijing discovered as much. But Katerina Siniakova too has been in excellent form, crushing Wang Xiyu 6-2 6-2 and Jelena Ostapenko 6-1 6-2. However, she has never beaten Wozniacki on a hard court. That could prove decisive in the crucial moments.
Prediction: Wozniacki in 3
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Naomi Osaka vs Alison Riske
Head-to-head: Riske 1-0 Osaka
It has been an excellent season for Alison Riske, who stunned Ashleigh Barty on her way to the Wimbledon quarterfinals before making a thrilling run to the final in Wuhan (lost to Aryna Sabalenka). She will also surely approach this match with confidence having beaten Naomi Osaka in their only previous meeting, although that was three years ago on the Madrid clay. Osaka has improved considerably since and is a different beast on hard courts. She is also in fine form having won the title in Osaka and brushed aside Jessica Pegula and Andrea Petkovic so far at the China Open. Riske is playing well enough to make a match of this, but it is hard to look past the fourth seed’s power.
Prediction: Osaka in 3
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Bianca Andreescu vs Jennifer Brady
Head-to-head: Andreescu 3-1 Brady
As she has done all year, Bianca Andreescu has been finding a way to win this week at the China Open, even when hard up against it. In her first match, she was some way below par, but managed to battle past Aliaksandra Sasnovich before delivering an improved display to oust Elise Mertens 6-3 7-6. Jennifer Brady, meanwhile, is enjoying an excellent run, having come through the qualifiers and now scored two main draw wins, including a superb 2-6 6-4 6-4 win over her compatriot Madison Keys. She will surely be full of confidence, despite having lost three of her four meetings with Andreescu. But Andreescu just doesn’t seem to lose. Expect the Canadian to pick up another win.
Prediction: Andreescu in 2
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Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Daria Kasatkina
Head-to-head: first meeting
Daria Kasatkina needed a big week at the China Open after what has been a poor season and she is close to putting one together. She started her tournament with a battling 2-6 6-4 6-4 win over home hope Peng Shuai before beating Wuhan Open champion Sabalenka in straight-sets. But she will need to be at her very best up against her compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova, who has made a fine start to her Asian-swing campaign. Alexandrova, a semifinalist in Seoul, has played some excellent tennis so far in Beijing, beating Bernarda Pera from a set down in her opener before dismissing sixth seed Simona Halep. Her serve has been firing and it should give her the edge against Kasatkina.
Prediction: Alexandrova in 3
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