Sixth seed Jasmine Paolini and eighth seed Elena Rybakina both advanced to the third round of the China Open in Beijing, winning in very different styles but delivering at the key moments.
Paolini and Rybakina Showcase Their Skills
Paolini eased past 2018 finalist Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 6-3 in 1 hour 10 minutes, extending her perfect record against the Latvian to 4-0. The Italian faced early pressure, fending off break points in her first two service games, and she nullified seven break points in total. As Sevastova worked her way into the match with deft touch, Paolini responded with precise, aggressive shot-making in the tightest games. She sealed the result with a fourth break in the final game, continuing the momentum from Italy’s recent Billie Jean King Cup title defense. Paolini next meets No. 27 seed Sofia Kenin, who defeated Polina Kudermetova 6-4, 6-2.
On the other hand, Rybakina needed 2 hours 28 minutes to overcome Caty McNally 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. The Kazakhstani’s performance was patchy at times, featuring 68 unforced errors and a medical timeout for shoulder treatment in the second set. McNally’s frequent net approaches caused problems and put her on the verge of taking the opener, but Rybakina erased three set points and turned the set around with bold returning and clean baseline hitting. The American forced a decider and threatened a late surge, saving three break points that would have left her trailing 5-1 and earning two chances to break back in the next game. Rybakina held firm with accurate power to close it out. She will face Eva Lys next; the German rallied from 5-2 down in the third set to beat 17-year-old No. 32 seed Iva Jovic 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.
As the tournament progresses, both players will look to maintain their momentum and continue their strong performances. Fans eagerly anticipate the upcoming matches, which promise to showcase thrilling tennis action.