WTA China Open Round-Up: Elena Rybakina, Amanda Anisimova and Leylah Fernandez power into third round

Another day unfolded at the China Open, featuring the second round and the debut of several major stars of the tournament. The penultimate WTA 1000 of the season saw the debut of some of the favorites, with victories from Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, among others.

There was no room for major surprises at the start of the tournament, though there were a few tight battles. Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina returned to winning form by defeating Catherine McNally, while Leylah Fernandez crushed Maria Sakkari in one of the day's key matches. American stars Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova secured victories without major complications on another day of the tournament and advance to the third round.

Revenge is sweet: Leylah Fernandez crushes Sakkari

It was an easier day than expected for Leylah Fernandez (No. 25), who faced the always complicated Maria Sakkari (No. 56). Although the Greek has not been at her best for some time, with a sharp drop in the ranking, she is always a tricky opponent and arrived following an agonizing victory over Ashlyn Krueger that lasted three and a half hours.

This time, Fernandez proved too strong, taking revenge for three previous defeats at the WTA level. The World No. 25 leveraged her status as the favorite on this occasion, overcoming a tight start and winning nine consecutive games before closing out the victory 6-2, 6-0. The Canadian was clinical on key points: converting 5/5 break points and saving both break points she faced. Her next challenge: defending champion Coco Gauff.

Match Statistics Fernandez vs. Sakkari

Gauff shakes off nerves, delivers bagel in opener

Coco Gauff began her title defense campaign with a straightforward victory over Kamila Rakhimova (No. 89) by 6-4, 6-0. While she had a tight first set, the two-time Grand Slam champion found a great rhythm of play to take control of the match and delivered a bagel against the young Russian.

Gauff landed 69% of her first serves and won 72% of those points. Although she faced 10 break points, she managed to save every one of them, advancing without being broken. The American is at a crucial point of the season with a significant amount of points to defend, including titles at the China Open and WTA Finals—in addition to a semifinal appearance in Wuhan.

Match Statistics Rakhimova vs. Gauff

Rybakina wins battle and grinds 45th season win

Elena Rybakina (No. 10) was another heavyweight who took to the court and did not have an easy time against an inspired Cathy McNally (No. 90). The 8th seed battled for two and a half hours against the American and showed some doubts on her serve, committing seven double faults, though she still managed eight aces and won 76% of her first-serve points.

Rybakina secured the victory 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 and reached 45 match wins for the season, trailing only Iga Świątek (57) and Aryna Sabalenka (56). The Kazakh is seeking a spot in the WTA Finals, making every victory important. Rybakina has only one previous appearance at the China Open back in 2023, where she reached the semifinals. Her next challenge is against Germany's Eva Lys.

Match Statistics Rybakina vs. McNally

Amanda Anisimova dominates Katie Boulter

Amanda Anisimova (No. 4) achieved a massive victory in her debut against Katie Boulter (No. 54) with a 6-1, 6-3 scoreline, returning to winning ways in her first appearance since the US Open. The American enters this final part of the year in a new category, now as a deserved Top 5 player who reached the final in the last two Grand Slams (Wimbledon and the US Open).

Anisimova was dominant from the start and clinical in the key moments, securing four breaks and never conceding her serve throughout the match. She also took advantage of the nerves of Boulter, who has been out of form in recent months and committed seven double faults. In the third round, she will face local wildcard Shuai Zhang—the experienced former Top 20 player, who for the first time in over three years has secured consecutive wins at the WTA 1000 level.

Match Statistics Boulter vs. Anisimova