China Open 2024 Day 3: Women's singles predictions ft. Veronika Kudermetova vs Wang Xinyu
The second round of the China Open 2024 will commence on Friday, September 27. Most of the high-profile names received a bye into the second round. Naomi Osaka and Sofia Kenin were among the notable players to play in the first round, and both emerged victorious.
Osaka registered a 6-3, 6-2 win over Lucia Bronzetti. As this is her first appearance in Beijing since winning the title back in 2019, she extended her unbeaten run at the venue to seven matches. Kenin, meanwhile, beat Ana Bogdan 7-5, 6-2.
While the tournament was hit by a spate of withdrawals, including World No. 1 and defending champion Iga Swiatek, there's still enough star power left in the draw. With that in mind, here's a look at the predictions for a few matches lined up on Day 3 of the China Open:
#1 Veronika Kudermetova vs Wang Xinyu
Kudermetova's season has been quite disappointing. Her overall record for the season stands at 14-21, and she has compiled an 8-12 record on hardcourts. She managed to win consecutive matches on the surface for the first time at last week's Korea Open, where she lost to Beatriz Haddad Maia in the semifinals. She received a first-round bye here.
Wang kicked off her run at the China Open with a comfortable 6-1, 6-3 win over Mai Hontama. She won her previous and only encounter against Kudermetova at this year's Miami Open in straight sets.
Both players made the third round in Beijing last year. They're also aiming to reach the third round of a WTA 1000 tournament for the second time this year. Wang has a 14-14 record on hardcourts this season. While it's quite average, it's still better compared to her rival. As such, she'll be expected to continue her run at the China Open.
Predicted winner: Wang Xinyu
#2 Anastasia Potapova vs Greet Minnen
Potapova has amassed a 16-12 record on hardcourts this year. Her notable results include quarterfinal appearances at Indian Wells, Linz Open, and the Brisbane International. She also made the semifinals in Cleveland. As a seeded player, she received a bye into the second round of the China Open.
Minnen beat Erika Andreeva 7-5, 6-2 to reach the second round here. She advanced to the third round of a WTA 1000 event for the first time at this year's Miami Open, and will now aim to do the same again in the Chinese capital.
However, Potapova has outperformed Minnen by a fair margin this year. The latter has a 5-10 record against top-50 players this season, though she's 4-6 against them on hardcourts. The Russian has been a little inconsistent but should be able to do enough to get through this round at the very least.
Predicted winner: Anastasia Potapova
#3 Katerina Siniakova vs Yulia Starodubtseva
Siniakova's biggest triumphs have all come in doubles this year. She won the French Open and Wimbledon, and the gold medal in mixed doubles at the Paris Olympics. A semifinal showing in Cleveland has been her best result in singles, along with quarterfinal finishes in Berlin and Bad Homburg.
Siniakova received a bye into the second round of the China Open. Starodubtseva, meanwhile, came through the qualifying rounds and then defeated Laura Siegemund 6-4, 7-6 (3) to get there. It marked her maiden main-draw win at the WTA 1000 level.
This is Starodubtseva's first year on the WTA tour. She has tallied four main-draw wins this season, compared to her opponent's 21. This seems like a rather straightforward gig for Siniakova, unless she makes things harder for herself by playing recklessly.
Predicted winner: Katerina Siniakova
#4 Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Rebecca Sramkova
Alexandrova crashed out in the first round of the China Open last year. She'll look to win a few matches at the very least this time. She reached the semifinals of the Miami Open, and even ousted the top-ranked Swiatek en route to the last four. She was also the only player to win a set against US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Sramkova finished as the runner-up at the Jasmin Open in Tunisia a couple of weeks ago. She immediately raced to Hua Hin for the Thailand Open, and won the title, her first at the WTA level. She qualified successfully for the China Open, and beat Anhelina Kalinina 6-4, 6-0 in her opener.
Sramkova has now won 12 of her last 13 matches across all levels. This will also be her 14th match in 16 days. She has momentum on her side but playing non-stop tennis could catch up to her. If she's not too exhausted, then she certainly has a shot against Alexandrova, whose talent is often rivaled by her inconsistency.
Predicted winner: Rebecca Sramkova