The third day of the WTA Beijing Open is incredibly busy. 13 matches in total are scheduled. This article predicts the outcome of four of those matches. That includes contests involving 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and this year’s Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur. We at LWOT have two separate articles predicting the outcome of the other nine matches on Day 3 in Beijing. But which players do you think will win?
WTA Beijing Day 3 Predictions
Xinyu Wang vs Vera Zvonareva
Head-to-head: First meeting
It is incredible what the 39-year-old Zvonareva is still achieving. The two-time Grand Slam finalist reached the quarterfinal last week at the Ningbo Open, only narrowly losing to Ons Jabeur. And she is still being even more successful in doubles. However, I feel beating Wang at the WTA Beijing Open is a big ask. The 22-year-old is having her best season to date, setting a career-best ranking last month. The relatively quick conditions in Beijing can allow Zvonareva to try and play aggressively. But the superior athleticism and consistency of Wang is still likely to see her win at her home WTA 1000 event.
Prediction: Wang in 2
Daria Kasatkina vs Mayar Sherif
Head-to-head: First meeting
This is a contest that Kasatkina should win comfortably at the WTA Beijing Open. Sherif is a fighter, and will leave everything out on the court. That does not change the reality that the Egyptian is a strong clay court specialist. Her greater discomfort on hard courts is likely to be exposed by Kasatkina, unless she puts in a very poor performance. Kasatkina does struggle to beat the very top players, as shown by her last two losses being heavy defeats against Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula. But she is one of the best at navigating herself through the early rounds.
Prediction: Kasatkina in 2
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Ons Jabeur vs Ashlyn Krueger
Head-to-head: First meeting
Has Ons Jabeur recovered from her post-Wimbledon slump? Her run to the title at the WTA 250 event in Ningbo was certainly welcome. Truthfully though, the players she faced were ones someone of Jabeur’s class should be expected to beat. But she still deserves credit for getting it done. Krueger’s title run at the Japan Women’s Open two weeks ago was the opposite. It came out of nowhere, and was one of the upset runs of the season. The American proved she is dangerous. Overall though, I expect Jabeur to effectively handle Krueger’s big-hitting at the WTA Beijing Open. I also feel Krueger may lose some momentum for the rest of the season after overperforming so much during her title run.
Prediction: Jabeur in 2
Elena Rybakina vs Qinwen Zheng
Head-to-head: Rybakina 1-0 Zheng
Both these women have recently made headlines off-the-court for different reasons. Rybakina for her angry response to the WTA’s trialling of performance byes, while Zheng announced she felt betrayed by her coach’s decision to leave her to resume working with Naomi Osaka. Zheng was emotional in her statement about the coaching situation. Hence having a home crowd’s backing is likely to be very helpful. She is having her best season to date, and is capable of causing Rybakina problems. The quick conditions do suit the big-hitting Rybakina’s game, however. I think that will see her overcome a difficult challenge at the WTA Beijing Open.
Prediction: Rybakina in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
