The China Open continues this week as Qinwen Zheng faces Mirra Andreeva while Aryna Sabalenka goes up against Karolina Muchova in the quarter-finals. Damien Kayat previews.
Qinwen Zheng 66/100 | Mirra Andreeva 23/20
Could Qinwen Zheng become the first Chinese winner of this event? The reigning Olympic champion struggled in the early stages of her round of 16 tie with Amanda Anisimova, committing a litany of errors under the weight of the American’s potent shot-making.
She surrendered the first set but bounced back emphatically, putting on a serving masterclass to win the match in three. Zheng would serve 14 aces in the match, winning 73% of her first-serve points.
This has been an incredible year for the Chinese star and a deep run in this- her home event- would just be the cherry on top. She reached a maiden Grand Slam final in Melbourne. She won in Palermo before defying all the odds to seal Olympic Golf in Paris.
She went on to reach the quarterfinals at the US Open and victory here would take her to a maiden WTA 1000 semifinal. Her serve is working wonders on these slick surfaces and she will take some stopping this week.
17-year-old teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva has enjoyed a solid- if occasionally inconsistent- season. But that’s to be expected from a 17-year-old. She will gain more consistency as she gets older and develops a bit more power off those groundstrokes.
As it is, Andreeva employs a defensive style that is all about great movement and counterpunching. Andreeva’s defensive style has translated into some solid clay-court success this season. She reached a maiden Grand Slam semifinal in Paris and would go on to win her first title in Romania.
She has also showed solid progress at WTA 1000 level, registering her 3rd WTA 1000 quarterfinal of the season with her decisive victory over Magda Linette. She showed real grit in her opening two matches, coming back from a set down against both Camelia-Begu and Vekic.
The Verdict: Zheng to win in straight sets 14/10
This will be their first career meeting. It’s hard to look past Zheng after the way she dismantled Anisimova in those final two sets.
Andreeva is still a little too defensive and may struggle against Zheng’s direct approach. Zheng should win quite comfortably if she keeps that first-serve percentage up.
Aryna Sabalenka 46/100 | Karolina Muchova 17/10
This match should put Aryna Sabalenka’s incredible 15-match winning streak to the test. The Belarusian looks hellbent on usurping Iga Swiatek’s World No.1 ranking.
Sabalenka has cemented her status as the leading hardcourt player in the world this season, winning both the Aussie and US Opens in emphatic fashion. She is unbeaten since the start of the Cincinnati Open and is yet to drop a set in Beijing.
She encountered some resistance in her round of 16 clash with Madison Keys, exchanging early breaks in the opener before slowly asserting her baseline dominance to win the set 6-4.
She looked more composed in the 2nd, winning 6-3, despite the American picking up a late break to give the scoreboard some respectability. Sabalenka will be looking to reach the semifinals here for the very first time as she takes on comeback queen Karolina Muchova.
It’s incredible to think that Karolina Muchova only has one WTA Tour title to her name: the 2019 Korean Open title. The Czech player is one of the most talented players on tour, but injury has been a real thorn in her side.
She showed the world her class last season, finishing runner-up at Roland Garros before a semifinal run at the US Open. She also reached a maiden WTA 1000 final in Cincinnati (where she lost to Coco Gauff).
But she sustained a wrist injury in that US Open run that would ultimately prevent her from competing in the WTA Finals. It would later require surgery, meaning she would only return to action in June. But she has looked impressive since returning to action, finishing runner-up in Palermo before making it back-to-back semifinals at the US Open (where she lost to an inspired Jessica Pegula in the semis).
She has looked utterly peerless in Beijing, dropping just 12 games in four matches.
The Verdict: Muchova to win in three 5/1
Muchova leads the head-to-head 2-1. The Czech star has won their last two encounters, including a comeback win at last year’s Cincinnati Open. Sabalenka’s run must come to an end eventually and Muchova had been in scintillating form.
Her variety gives her a different dimension to most players that Sabalenka crushes on tour.
