Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Beijing match.
Anastasia Potapova made a strong start in Beijing, coming through despite not being fancied against Kateřina Siniaková. However, the Russian now faces the young Canadian Victoria Mboko, who won the title in Montreal but faltered at the US Open.
Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Potapova, once touted as a prodigy after her junior Wimbledon 2016 crown, has not yet established herself among the very best. However, she has produced solid results against higher-ranked opponents: five wins in her last ten such matches, losing only to stars such as Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Świątek and Mirra Andreeva. In the opening round in Beijing, Potapova defeated Kateřina Siniaková (6:3, 6:4), who had recently impressed in Seoul. She won 77% of her first-serve points and created five break-point chances.
Victoria Mboko
The 19-year-old Mboko rose to prominence with a standout title in Montreal, but her US Open showing was subdued due to knee issues. In 2025 on hard courts she holds an impressive 19:3 record, yet Victoria has dropped at least one set in four of her last six matches on this surface. In Montreal the Canadian lost the opening set to Marie Bouzková, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka, turning those contests around largely through physical power. Her results in Asia have been modest — last year in Japan she won only one match across two ITF tournaments.
Anastasia Potapova vs Victoria Mboko Prediction
Anastasia Potapova, with an improved serve and tenacious baseline work, should make this competitive against Victoria Mboko. Given that the Canadian often drops the opening set, the Russian is well placed to cover the games handicap.
