China Open Semifinals Preview: Zheng, Mertens, Andreeva and Bartunkova Clash in Beijing

The China Open semifinals feature an unlikely final four in Beijing, with only one top-five seed, a single player inside the top 15, one wild card, and three competitors seeking their first career WTA 1000 title. The tournament’s penultimate round sets up contrasting matchups between home favorite Zheng Qinwen and Elise Mertens, alongside a clash between Mirra Andreeva and rising star Nikola Bartunkova.

Zheng Qinwen and Elise Mertens Meet in Beijing

Home favorite Zheng advanced to the semifinals as a wild card after defeating sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina in straight sets. Zheng skipped the Cincinnati tournament in August to undergo a dedicated training block in Florida, a decision that yielded a quarterfinal run at the US Open and now a semifinal appearance in Beijing. Prior to her straight-set victory over Svitolina, Zheng won four consecutive three-set matches. She has won 12 of her last 13 matches overall.

Elise Mertens earned her semifinal spot by defeating top players including Coco Gauff and securing a 7-6 (0), 6-3 win over Iga Swiatek. Mertens won 87 percent of her first-serve points against Swiatek and did not face a single break point. This marks Mertens’s first WTA 1000 semifinal appearance since reaching the final four in Dubai in 2021. In addition to her singles campaign, Mertens is scheduled to play in the doubles semifinal alongside Diana Shnaider. Zheng leads their head-to-head record 1-0, having previously won at Charleston last year.

Preparing for the physical toll of competing in both singles and doubles, Mertens outlined her immediate routine to reporters in Beijing.

Recovery is key. Eat, sleep and repeat the same. Yeah, just focus on the singles first. That’s definitely the goal.

Mirra Andreeva Faces Nikola Bartunkova

The second semifinal features Mirra Andreeva against 20-year-old Czech player Nikola Bartunkova. Bartunkova advanced to her first career WTA 1000 semifinal following a 6-3, 6-0 victory over compatriot Karolina Muchova in just 67 minutes. Bartunkova previously defeated World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka last week. Her straight-set win over Muchova featured a first-strike aggressive style that prevented her opponent from establishing rhythm.

Andreeva secured her semifinal berth by overcoming Ekaterina Alexandrova in a tight two-set match decided by tiebreaks. The 19-year-old French Open champion previously defeated Bartunkova 6-2, 7-6 (5) in the third round of the US Open. Reflecting on their upcoming rematch, Andreeva noted the competitive nature of their previous encounters.

Even though I won [at the] US Open, I still felt like the match was tough. A lot of up and downs. I think this match is going to be very entertaining for people to watch. She’s an amazing player. I’m super excited to play her again.

More on this story: Zheng Qinwen defeats Marie Bouzkova to reach China Open Last 16 · Aryna Sabalenka Stunned by Nikola Bartunkova at China Open