Monday marks the real start of the Beijing campaign as the third round wraps up and the real contenders begin to separate from the rest of the pack. It is set to be a thrilling day of tennis, headlined by a massive clash between Iga Swiatek and Donna Vekic, plus a host of other exciting matchups.
Let’s start with Iva Jovic against Kamilla Rakhimova. Jovic needed almost three hours to get past Harriet Dart after dropping the first set, but she has beaten Rakhimova twice before, including a tough win in Dubai earlier this year. Rakhimova has the weapons to make Jovic work hard, especially if she can stop the American from dictating play with her forehand. However, Jovic’s ability to handle pace and turn defense into offense has seen her through plenty of tough moments this season. Even though the long match against Dart might be lingering, Jovic’s experience and head-to-head edge should see her through. Prediction: Jovic in 3.
Next up is Marie Bouzkova versus Zheng Qinwen. This is a clash of completely different styles. Bouzkova thrives on long, frustrating rallies where she forces opponents to make the errors. Zheng, on the other hand, wants to end points quickly with her powerful serve and heavy forehand. Zheng advanced after Anna Kalinskaya retired, while Bouzkova had to grind past Kimberly Birrell in two tight sets. This means Zheng’s match fitness is still a bit of a question mark, and Bouzkova is the perfect opponent to test that. Still, if Zheng’s first serve is firing, she will be too strong. Prediction: Zheng in 3.
Then we have Alina Charaeva taking on Sonay Kartal. Charaeva just played the match of her life, coming from a set down to beat the newly crowned world number one, Elena Rybakina. Kartal is also in good form after a comfortable straight-sets win over Xinyu Wang, but this is a whole different level of challenge. Charaeva has shown she can handle the big stage and her baseline aggression could cause Kartal real problems. Kartal will make it competitive, but Charaeva’s massive confidence boost should carry her through. Prediction: Charaeva in 3.
Finally, the big one: Donna Vekic against Iga Swiatek. Vekic had to fight back to beat Lin Zhu in three sets, while Swiatek kicked off her campaign with a smooth win over Gao Xinyu. Swiatek also has history in Beijing, winning the title back in 2023. Vekic has the serve and the power to make this uncomfortable if she can prevent Swiatek from getting into her rhythm. But Swiatek’s return game is just too good, and her movement makes her the more complete player on the day. Vekic has never beaten Swiatek, and that record is unlikely to change here. Prediction: Swiatek in 2.
