The women’s main draw at the 2025 China Open got underway on Wednesday, Sept. 24, where two-time Grand Slam singles champion Barbara Krejcikova, China Open veteran Sorana Cirstea, World No. 52 Marie Bouzkova, and several others advanced to Round 2. Below is a look at the highlights from Day 1.
Krejcikova earns first career win in Beijing
Former World No.2 Barbara Krejcikova eased into the second round after defeating Anna Blinkova 6-2, 6-2 on the Diamond Court. The Czech was previously 0-2 in Beijing.
Krejcikova broke serve in Game 1 and held serve in Game 2 to take an early lead in the first set, and then broke Blinkova again at love to win Game 7. Krejcikova then held serve in Game 8 to win the set. Blinkova began the second set the same way Krejcikova did in the first, winning Game 1 and breaking serve in Game 2. Krejcikova then proceeded to win the next six games, winning the match and extending her record against Blinkova to 4-0. Krejcikova controlled the game with precision and accuracy, and her powerful serve was difficult for Blinkova to return at times.
In Round 2 Krejcikova will look to even her 2-3 record against No. 9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, whom she last faced in 2021.
— Reporting by Dane Vogel
Former No. 3 Sakkari outlasts Krueger in three-set thriller
World No. 56 Maria Sakkari from Greece emerged the winner 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-5 after a drawn-out struggle against Ashlyn Krueger of the United States.
The match lasted nearly three and a half hours, with both players covering the court well and pressuring serves. Sakkari, who reached a career-high No. 3 in 2022, was able to strike several big serves, pressuring World No. 45 Krueger while still maintaining her composure. Krueger, meanwhile, matched Sakkari’s playing and forced a second-set tiebreak, where her resilience allowed her to prevail. In the final set, Sakkari secured a crucial service break late in the set and held her serve to clinch the match.
Sakkari will go on to play Leylah Fernandez of Canada in Round 2.
— Reporting by Josie Childers
Bouzkova wins cheers – and games– against Maria
The audience cheered when World No. 52 Marie Bouzkova walked onto the court in Round 1 to face World No. 44 Tatjana Maria. They did the same after she won 6-2, 6-4.
Bouzkova brought high energy into the first few games, reacting quickly to Maria’s advances to the net to win three of the first four games. After Maria broke serve in Game 5, Bouzkova came back to win the set.
As the competition intensified in the second set, a duo from the audience continued cheering “Let’s go Marie, let’s go!” at the start of each game. Bouzkova broke serve in Game 3 to pull ahead. In response, Maria advanced to the net more frequently and placed her shots to keep Bouzkova on her toes, but it was not enough to break serve. Each player held serve for the rest of the second set, with Bouzkova coming out on top of the 73-minute match.
The crowd cheered once more as she waved and tossed towels to young fans. She then addressed them in a post-match interview: “Thanks for being here, for being part of it.”
— Reporting by Mia Fleischer
Cirstea overpowers Dolehide to set Muchova showdown
In an hour and six minutes, World No. 64 Sorana Cirstea beat Caroline Dolehide 6-2, 6-3 on the Lotus Court. The 35-year-old Romanian demonstrated superior on-court intelligence and power to beat the No. 88-ranked American.
Cirstea dominated the match early on, breaking Dolehide’s serve twice to build a 3-0 lead. Cirstea’s clinical ball placement and powerful returns left Dolehide chasing at every point. Dolehide found momentum as she broke Cirstea’s serve in the fourth game and held serve in the fifth, but a shutout in Game 6 put Cirstea in control. She went on to take the next two games and the set, winning 91% of her first serve points.
The second set was a similar story. Cirstea broke Dolehide’s serve in the first game and showed her dominant serve by closing out Game 2 with an ace. Throughout the set, Cirstea’s returns were again too strong for Dolehide. She won 62.5% of her second-serve returns in this set and never allowed Dolehide to take the lead in games won. Dolehide did break Cirstea’s serve and held her own serve to tie the set 3-3 after Game 6, but Cirstea again won three games in a row to close out the match.
This is the eighth time Cirstea has competed in the China Open. Her most notable finish in the tournament came in 2017, when she reached the quarterfinals. Cirstea next faces last year’s finalist and No. 13 seed Karolina Muchova in the second round.
— Reporting by Luca Giordano
McNally stuns Siegemund in China Open debut
No. 90 Caty McNally from the United States enjoyed a perfect Beijing debut, defeating No. 53 Laura Siegemund from Germany 6-4, 6-2 on the Lotus Court.
The first set saw broken serves for the opening six of seven games before McNally closed the door in her last service game. In the second set, McNally took a swift 5-1 lead by breaking Siegemund’s serve in the first and fifth games and went on to win the match.
This was the duo's second meeting. Siegemund won their previous match 6-2, 6-2 in Auckland early 2020.
Moving on to the second round, McNally will face No. 8 seed Elena Rybakina. The last time the two went head-to-head was in Charleston in 2021, when Rybakina retired after the first set due to illness.
— Reporting by Connor Greene
Sevastova overcomes mental hurdles to defeat Birrell
In a match that saw both players fighting more with themselves than their opponent, No. 221 Anastasija Sevastova from Latvia defeated World No. 85 Kimberley Birrell from Australia 6-3, 7-6 (1) on the Moon Court.
The story of the match was not just the tennis but how each player handled unforced errors and lapses in concentration. Birrell struggled early on, sending routine shots into the net and gifting Sevastova free points. The 35-year-old Latvian, who was ranked as high as No. 11 in 2018, took an early 4-2 game lead before Birrell managed to break back in the seventh game. Sevastova immediately responded with a service break of her own and closed out the set 6-3.
The second set brought the mental battles to the forefront. The players traded breaks of serve in the fifth and sixth games, each growing visibly frustrated with their miscues. Birrell, in particular, reacted harshly to her mistakes, hitting her racket on the ground and gesturing as if she might break it over her head. This negativity lingered, affecting her play for the duration of the match.
The set went to a tiebreak that began poorly for Birrell as she immediately surrendered a point with an overhit shot past the baseline. Trailing 3-1, she committed a costly double fault which ultimately enabled Sevastova to win the tiebreak 7-1.
Statistically, Sevastova held the edge, firing seven aces to Birrell’s two and committing three fewer double faults. Sevastova now advances to the second round, where she will face No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini.
—Reporting by Connor Greene
Rakhimova to face defending champion Gauff after besting Bronzetti
Kamilla Rakhimova beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-4, 6-1 on the Moon Court. This was the players’ first time facing one another.
In the first set, Rakhimova took Games 2 through 5 as Bronzetti repeatedly hit the ball into the net. Rakhimova deftly utilized corner shots and drop shots to take game after game. Bronzetti found her serve and made a short comeback in Games 6 through 8. However, Rakhimova’s powerful forehand gave her the next two games along with the set.
Despite starting off with back-to-back double faults, Rakhimova’s strength with forehand shots to and from anywhere on the court was apparent in the second set, as she immediately took five straight games. Bronzetti took advantage of her serving strength once again to win Game 6, but Rakhimova held serve in Game 7 and won the match.
Rakhimova has previously participated in the French Open and U.S. Open as well as most recently playing in the 2025 Wimbledon. She next will face No. 2 seed Coco Gauff in the second round.
— Reporting by Rebecca Jackson
Bondar holds on to defeat Andreescu
World No. 96 Anna Bondar from Hungary defeated 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu from Canada 6-4, 7-6(4) to close out the night on the Diamond Court.
Bondar opened the match strongly, using well placed groundstrokes and powerful serves to throw Andreescu off balance. She varied her serve speed and locations, effectively keeping the Canadian guessing on every point. The difference in serve pace was clear, as Bondar's serve would hover around 175 km/h while Andreescu’s topped out at 167 km/h.
Bondar looked firmly in control of the first set, cruising through her service games while being able to apply steady pressure on Andreescu’s. She broke serve in the first game and again in the ninth to win the first set 6-4.
The second set turned into a battle of momentum swings. The players broke serve in eight of the first 10 games, and Bondar jumped in front with a 5-2 lead, before losing focus. Andreescu was able to capitalize, winning four straight games to take the lead 6-5. The set went to a tiebreak in which Andreescu’s repeated attempts at defensive lobs backfired. Bondar punished those shots with easy overhead and net winners, pulling away to win the tiebreak 7-4 and seal the match in straight sets.
Andreescu's struggles with unforced backhand errors were costly, as she repeatedly sent shots into the net or long. Both players had trouble saving break points as Bondar went one for six (16%), while Andreescu rescued only two of eight (25%).
The match stretched late into the night, and Bondar thanked the sparse crowd for sticking around. “Thank you to everyone that stayed here,” she said in a post-match interview.
With the win, Bondar is set to face No. 24 seed Veronika Kudermetova in the second round.
— Reporting by Connor Greene
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