It promises to be a superb day of WTA Wuhan action on Day 3. Three-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will begin her campaign against Rebecca Sramkova. That match is among the three predicted here. As always, we at LWOT predict all the action in our articles, but which players do you think will win?
WTA Wuhan Day 3 Predictions
Karolina Muchova vs Magdalena Frech
Head-to-head: Muchova 1-0 Frech
Muchova’s game is more complete than that of her Polish opponent. Frech will focus on putting as many balls into play as possible and trying to extract errors from Muchova. She also needs to make her superiority count in the backhand-to-backhand rallies. While Frech’s chances should not be ruled out, Muchova has performed well in the last few months and will win if she plays near her best.
Prediction: Muchova in 2
Belinda Bencic vs Elise Mertens
Head-to-head: Mertens 1-0 Bencic
There are similarities in Bencic and Martens’ games. Both are solid in all departments, with particularly excellent backhands. Bencic’s achievements, like winning Olympic Gold and reaching No. 4 in the WTA rankings, show her ceiling is higher. The Swiss is more adept at using her game aggressively and consistently pressuring opponents. Mertens can only cause an upset if she effectively soaks up a lot of pressure.
Prediction: Bencic in 3
Aryna Sabalenka vs Rebecca Sramkova
Head-to-head: First meeting
Sabalenka has never lost a match at the Wuhan Open. The world No. 1 won the 2018 and 2019 titles before the tournament was cancelled from 2020 to 2023 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sabalenka secured her third title in Wuhan last year, beating Zheng Qinwen in the final. She has thrived on the lively hard courts at the event, which perfectly suit her game.
A victory for Sramkova would be one of 2025’s most significant upsets. The Slovakian played well to beat Anna Kalinskaya in the opening round, but she will almost certainly need a much better performance against Sabalenka. Sramkova’s significant improvements in the last 12 months do not convince me that she is the player who can finally defeat Sabalenka at her most dominant tournament.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Main Photo Credit: Aaron Doster – Imagn Images
