The third round at WTA Beijing will conclude on Monday as the tournament begins to separate the contenders from the chaos. It should be an entertaining day of tennis with a number of the world’s best set to be in action in the Chinese capital and, as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Coco Gauff vs Sun Xinran. But who will advance?
WTA Beijing Day 6 Predictions
Iva Jovic vs Kamilla Rakhimova
Head-to-head: Jovic 2-0 Rakhimova
Iva Jovic has already been made to work for her place in the WTA Beijing third round, needing two hours and 45 minutes to overcome Harriet Dart after dropping the opening set. Kamilla Rakhimova should offer a different kind of challenge, but Jovic has already beaten her twice, including a three-set win in Dubai earlier this year.
Rakhimova has the game to make Jovic uncomfortable if she can keep the American from dictating with her forehand. But Jovic’s ability to absorb pace and turn defence into attack has already carried her through plenty of difficult moments this season. The long match against Dart could matter, yet Jovic has the matchup history and greater weapons to make it three wins from three against Rakhimova.
Prediction: Jovic in 3
Marie Bouzkova vs Zheng Qinwen
Head-to-head: first meeting
This is a fascinating first meeting between two players who can make matches unfold at very different speeds. Marie Bouzkova is at her best when she can extend rallies, frustrate opponents and force them to create their own openings. Zheng Qinwen would much rather shorten the exchanges with her serve and powerful forehand.
Zheng has already navigated a couple of tough matches at WTA Beijing, advancing when Anna Kalinskaya retired, while Bouzkova had to work through Kimberly Birrell in two tight sets. That means there is still some uncertainty around Zheng’s rhythm, and Bouzkova is exactly the type of opponent who can exploit it. Still, if Zheng’s first serve is firing, her ability to dictate from the baseline should eventually give her the advantage.
Prediction: Zheng in 3
Alina Charaeva vs Sonay Kartal
Head-to-head: first meeting
Alina Charaeva arrives with the biggest win of her career after coming from a set down to defeat newly crowned world No. 1 Elena Rybakina. The 24-year-old showed impressive composure in the biggest moments and became the lowest-ranked player to come from a set down and beat a world No. 1 since the WTA rankings began in 1975.
Sonay Kartal has plenty of confidence herself after beating Xinyu Wang 6-3 6-2, reaching the third round in Beijing for a second straight year. However, this will be a very different test. Charaeva has already shown she can handle a high-level hard-court battle, and her ability to redirect pace and stay aggressive from the baseline could give Kartal problems. The Briton should make this competitive, but Charaeva has the momentum and belief to keep her run going.
Prediction: Charaeva in 3
Donna Vekic vs Iga Swiatek
Head-to-head: Swiatek 4-0 Vekic
This is the match that immediately jumps off the page. Donna Vekic has already battled through a three-set win over Lin Zhu, while Iga Swiatek began her Beijing campaign with a controlled 6-2, 6-3 victory over Gao Xinyu. Swiatek also has history here, having won the China Open in 2023.
Vekic has the serve and first-strike power to make this uncomfortable, particularly if she can keep Swiatek from settling into her preferred heavy forehand patterns. But Swiatek’s return game is usually the great equalizer, and her ability to turn defence into attack should put Vekic under pressure in longer exchanges. There is no previous head-to-head to lean on, but Swiatek’s movement and baseline control make her the more complete player in this matchup.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Main photo credit: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz: