The China Open in Beijing reaches its climax as the Final takes centre stage, bringing together two of the most compelling players in the women's game for what promises to be a fascinating conclusion to the WTA 1000 hard-court event.
Qinwen Zheng vs. Mirra Andreeva - Final
These two players have met once before, with Zheng holding the only result in her favour. That prior meeting came right here at the China Open in Beijing at the Quarterfinal stage, where Zheng won a hard-fought three-set battle 5-7, 6-0, 6-4. The pattern of that match, losing the first set before storming back to take the second and third, suggests Zheng has the resilience to compete deep in this draw.
The ranking picture tells a striking story heading into this Final. Andreeva arrives as the world number 5, while Zheng is currently ranked 160th, making the Russian a heavy favourite on paper. However, rankings alone cannot account for everything, and no odds are available to further quantify expectations here.
With no additional matchup data or odds to lean on, the existing head-to-head result carries extra weight: Zheng has beaten Andreeva before on this very surface and at this very tournament, which will provide real belief heading into the Final.
Prediction: Andreeva's superior current ranking makes her the logical favourite, but Zheng's previous victory at this event and the crowd support make this a genuinely open Final. Andreeva to win in three sets.
