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Second-round matches at the China Open 2025 will continue on Saturday, September 27. Defending champion and second seed Coco Gauff kicked off her title defense with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Kamilla Rakhimova. Amanda Anisimova, the runner-up at Wimbledon and US Open, made light work of Katie Boulter with a 6-1, 6-3 win.
Elena Rybakina was pushed to three sets by Caty McNally but managed to prevail in the end. After losing her previous four matches against Maria Sakkari, Leylah Fernandez finally got the better of her nemesis with a 6-2, 6-0 win.
Paula Badosa, Sofia Kenin, and Jasmine Paolini were among the other victors of the day. As more players aim to reach the third round, here are the predictions for some of the matches set to take place on Saturday at the China Open:
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#1. Emma Navarro vs Elena-Gabriela Ruse
A quarterfinal showing at the Australian Open, followed by a title at the Merida Open were among the highlights of Navarro's early hardcourt swing. The clay swing wasn't as memorable for her, culminating with a first-round exit from the French Open. The grass swing brought her some respite with a fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon.
Navarro's recent results include a third-round exit from the US Open, and a runner-up finish at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. She has a 29-23 record this year, and received a bye into the second round of the China Open.
Ruse finished as the runner-up at the Libema Open. The highlight of her season was followed by some tough weeks as she lost one match after another. She arrived at the China Open on a seven-match losing streak. Up against Rebecca Sramkova in the first round, she recorded a 6-2, 6-2 win to taste victory after three months.
While this will be their first meeting at the WTA Tour, they did meet once at the Challenger level. Navarro won that match for the loss of two games. Ruse has a 0-6 record against top 20 players this season, and a 2-19 career record. The American should be able to win this contest considering her opponent's struggles against the best in the business.
Predicted winner: Emma Navarro
#2. Mirra Andreeva vs Zhu Lin
Andreeva took her career to the next level by winning back-to-back WTA 1000 titles, first in Dubai and then at Indian Wells. She upset World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to win the latter tournament. She also made the last eight at the French Open and Wimbledon.
However, Andreeva's hot streak has cooled down in recent weeks, especially after a third-round exit from the US Open. She received a first-round bye at the China Open, and reached the quarterfinals here a year ago.
A fourth-round finish at the Canadian Open remains Zhu's best result at the WTA level this year. She dealt with an injury at the start of the season and took some time off to recover as well. She beat qualifier Moyuka Uchijima 6-1, 6-3 in the first round here, snapping her four-match losing streak in the process.
Zhu has a 5-6 record on the main tour this year, while Andreeva has compiled a 38-13 record. The latter has cleared the opening hurdle of every WTA 1000 tournament she has participated in this year. Given their respective results, the teenager will be the clear favorite to win this showdown.
Predicted winner: Mirra Andreeva
#3. Victoria Mboko vs Anastasia Potapova
Mboko set the ITF circuit on fire after winning five titles. She slowly began transitioning to the WTA Tour, reaching the third round of Wimbledon and the second round of the French Open. She became a member of the big leagues at the Canadian Open, winning her maiden WTA title in front of her home crowd.
Mboko beat the likes of Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina to reach the final, and then upset four-time Major champion Naomi Osaka to win the title. Her winning ways came to an end at the hands of Barbora Krejcikova, who ousted her from the first round of the US Open.
Mboko reached the second round of the China Open courtesy of a bye, while Potapova beat Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-4 to accomplish the same. The two are set to clash for the second time. The Canadian teenager won their previous encounter at the Citi DC Open a couple of months ago in straight sets.
Mboko will be keen to leave the disappointment of her US Open loss behind her. She has competed in three WTA 1000 tournaments prior to the China Open, and has never left without winning a match. She will be favored to keep that streak alive with a win over Potapova.
Predicted winner: Victoria Mboko
#4. Clara Tauson vs Zeynep Sonmez
Tauson started the year with a title in Auckland. She also progressed to her maiden WTA 1000 final in Dubai, losing to Andreeva. A fourth-round showing at Wimbledon was her best result at the Majors. She lost in the first round of the US Open, and made the quarterfinals of the Korea Open a week ago.
Tauson has a 34-19 record this year, with a 24-11 record on hardcourts. She received a first-round bye at the China Open. Sonmez, on the other hand, beat home favorite Wei Sijia 6-2, 6-0 in the first round. It marked her maiden win at the WTA 1000 level, and her seventh win this year.
Given their respective results this season, Tauson is the obvious choice to win. Sonmez has also lost all four of her previous matches against top 20 players, that too in straight sets. The Dane should be able to win their first career meeting without a fuss.
Predicted winner: Clara Tauson
