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Match Details
Fixture: (5) Elena Rybakina vs Qinwen Zheng.
Tournament: China Open 2023.
Round: First round.
Venue: Beijing, China.
Category: WTA 1000.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $1,500,000.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Elena Rybakina vs Qinwen Zheng preview
Elena Rybakina will be eager to reach the second round of the 2023 China Open when she takes on World No. 23 Qinwen Zheng on Monday (October 2).
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Rybakina has had some great results this year, with an impressive 42-12 win-loss record and two big titles in Indian Wells and Rome to boot. The Kazakh also reached the final of the 2023 Australian Open, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka. However, she failed to defend her Wimbledon title as she crashed out of the tournament in the quarterfinals.
While the 24-year-old is certainly enjoying a career-best season on the WTA tour, it is important to note that her physical conditioning has not been up to the mark. The Kazakh withdrew from this week's WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo due to fitness issues.
She has withdrawn ahead of two of her matches this year, while also having been forced to retire midway through two other ones.
Qinwen Zheng, meanwhile, has registered a 29-17 win-loss record in tour-level matches this year. The highlights of her season include winning the title at the Palermo Open and reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open.
The promising 20-year-old also clinched a gold medal in the women's singles competition at the 2023 Asian Games earlier on Friday (September 29). She only dropped one set in five of her matches in the competition, implying that she will arrive in Beijing with plenty of match practice.
Elena Rybakina vs Qinwen Zheng head-to-head
Rybakina leads Zheng by a margin of 1-0 in their head-to-head meetings on the WTA tour. She beat her younger opponent in straight sets en route to winning the Wimbledon title last year.
Elena Rybakina vs Qinwen Zheng odds
(Odds will be updated when released)
Elena Rybakina vs Qinwen Zheng prediction
Elena Rybakina has shown that she is a force to be reckoned with since last year. The 24-year-old has some of the most aggressive groundstrokes on the WTA tour, which she enjoys pairing with her authoritative serve.
The Kazakh's main ploy is to force her opponents to hit short returns and then put them away with her forehand. However, it's important to note that she often lacks balance when her opponents start moving her around the court.
On the other hand, Qinwen Zheng is just as aggressive as her older opponent from the baseline. The Chinese plays with great power and depth on her shots and possesses a reliable first serve as well. She also has a good court sense and is always looking to open up the court during rallies.
While Rybakina has more big-match experience, her game is likely to be rusty when she faces Zheng.
Pick: Qinwen Zheng in three sets.
