Mirra Andreeva missed a trick at the China Open last week after losing to world No. 81 Sonay Kartal in the fourth round. Despite dropping only two service games during the two-hour and 25-minute affair, the teenager ended up sustaining her second loss to an outside top-50 player in consecutive tournaments.
The 18-year-old had arrived in Asia after an injury-marred, truncated North American swing, which, in turn, had concluded with a third-round loss to world No. 139 Taylor Townsend. The last two results do not do justice to her otherwise splendid 2025 season, which has put her in the top-5 rankings.
Aside from her quarterfinals at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, she has excelled at WTA 1000 tournaments this season, with four quarterfinal-or-better results. The Russian delivered her best earlier in the year when she won back-to-back titles in Dubai and Indian Wells, securing a total of five top-10 wins during those campaigns.
Laura Siegemund ought to be let down by her start to the Asian swing. The German briefly announced her return to the top-50 rankings a few weeks ago, particularly empowered by her second career Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon and third-round performances at the Australian and US Opens.
The former world No. 27 was unable to get off the mark in Seoul and Beijing after her losses to Sofia Kenin and Caty McNally, respectively. Here in Wuhan, she was blessed with a change in fortune and benefitted from the late retirement of Dayana Yastremska for her first career win at this event since her 2016 debut (2R).
Head-to-head: 0-0. Laura Siegemund has been all over the place this season and it would be unwise to expect the veteran to secure her third top-10 win of the year. Mirra Andreeva — who received a bye in the first round — hopes to pick up the thread in Wuhan after losing to sister Erika in the second round of her 2024 debut.
