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The women's singles second-round matches at the China Open 2025 will begin from Friday, September 26. While most of the top guns received a first-round bye, a few prominent names were in action during the first round.
While former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu was sent packing by Anna Bondar, two-time Major champion Barbora Krejcikova safely made it to the second round. Former top 10 player Maria Sakkari earned a hard-fought three-set win over Ashlyn Krueger.
Players from the bottom half of the draw, anchored by second seed and defending champion Coco Gauff, will be in action on Friday. On that note, here are the predictions for a few of the matches set to take place at the China Open 2025 on Friday:
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#1. Iva Jovic vs Eva Lys
17-year-old Jovic has quickly established herself as one of the most promising young talents on the tour. Competing in her first full season at the WTA level, she made a winning debut at the Australian Open and the French Open before losing to Elena Rybakina in the second round on both occasions.
Jovic's biggest triumph came earlier this month, capturing her first career title at the Guadalajara Open, a WTA 500 tournament. She made her top 40 debut as a result. Lys advanced to the fourth and third rounds of a Major and a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time this year. She did so at the Australian Open and the Canadian Open respectively, going down to Iga Swiatek each time. She beat Zhang Ruien 6-1, 6-0 in the first round of the China Open.
This will be the first career meeting between them. As one of the seeded players at the China Open, Jovic received a first-round bye. Except for Wimbledon, the teenager has won at least one match at every tournament she has competed in this year. Her streak is likely to be maintained considering Lys' 5-12 record against top 50 players this season.
Predicted winner: Iva Jovic
#2. Paula Badosa vs Antonia Ruzic
Badosa has competed quite well whenever she has managed to stay healthy this year. She reached her maiden Major semifinal at the Australian Open as well as the fourth round of the Miami Open. She exacerbated her existing injury during her first-round exit from Wimbledon She was sidelined for three months and returned to action at last week's Billie Jean King Cup Finals, losing her singles tie against Elina Svitolina in three sets.
Badosa received a bye into the second round of the China Open. Ruzic, on the other hand, beat Elsa Jacquemot 6-3, 6-3 to make a winning debut at the tournament. It marked her seventh win at the WTA level this year.
Ruzic will have to punch way above her weight in order to challenge Badosa. She has played against a top 20 player just once in her career, and lost the match in straight sets. The Spaniard made the semifinals of the China Open last year. She gave a good account of herself during her loss to Svitolina last week, the first match of her latest comeback. If she remains healthy, then she will be the favorite to win this showdown.
Predicted winner: Paula Badosa
#3. Sofia Kenin vs Polina Kudermetova
A runner-up finish at the Charleston Open along with a quarterfinal at the Dubai Tennis Championships are Kenin's best results this year. She snapped her four-match losing streak at last week's Korea Open with a win over Laura Siegemund, and then lost to Maya Joint in the second round. She has a 22-21 record for the season and received a first-round bye here.
Kudermetova rose to prominence by progressing to her maiden WTA final in Brisbane at the start of the season. She gave World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka a tough fight before losing to her in three sets. She has won six more matches since then, with her first-round win against Madison Inglis at the China Open being her latest victory.
With both players struggling these days, this is a must-win match for them. Kudermetova has lost eight of her last nine matches against top 50 players. Her struggles against quality opponents offers Kenin a chance to make a victorious start to her run in Beijing.
Predicted winner: Sofia Kenin
#4. Jasmine Paolini vs Anastasija Sevastova
Paolini's biggest success this season came in front of her home crowd, winning her second WTA 1000 at the Italian Open. She also finished as the runner-up at the Cincinnati Open a month ago. She didn't reach any Major finals this year after making two of them in 2024.
Paolini also helped Italy successfully defend their title at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals last week. She has a 38-15 record this year. As one of the seeded players, she was the recipient of a first-round bye in Beijing.
Sevastova is on the comeback trail this year. She returned to the WTA Tour in April and has reached the third round of the Madrid Open and the fourth round of the Canadian Open since then. She scored a 6-3, 7-6 (1) win over Kimberly Birrell in the first round here.
Paolini beat Sevastova in three sets when they crossed paths at Wimbledon this year. Even though the latter is a dangerous opponent to face this early, the Italian should be able to get the job done to reach the next round on account of her recent form.
Predicted winner: Jasmine Paolini
