Aryna Sabalenka is cruising through the draw at the 2023 China Open in Beijing, but perhaps Jasmine Paolini can stop her, let's see.
The Belarusian player touched down in Beijing as the new WTA's world number one, something new for her because this is the first event she's playing as 'the best player in the world.'
Sabalenka got the honour after a strong run in New York, which didn't end with the trophy but saw her complete a childhood dream which she had worked toward for many years.
The experience in Beijing has been very solid so far. Her first match was the thrashing of Sofia Kenin yet the second one was a very hard-fought win over Katie Boulter. She didn't play as well in that match which makes this one rather interesting.
Should she repeat the second performance, Sabalenka might be beaten by the super-solid Italian who bested Sabalenka last year in Indian Wells.
Head-to-head:
Sabalenka is a very different player compared to last year in Indian Wells because she's far more dominant and sure of herself. Still, there are ways to beat her, and it's mostly if she gets in her own way. She kind of did against Boulter, and Paolini is a bit more capable than the Brit.
The win in Indian Wells was the only Paolini has against Sabalenka in three matches, but it's enough for her to step out bravely tomorrow and see what can happen.
Prediction:
While unlucky to lose, Sabalenka will need a few things to go right for her. She must be potent from the serve and not serve up multiple double faults. She will also need some consistency from the baseline simply to mitigate the 15-minute craze Paolini has every match. If that shows up, then she should be good to go.
Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka to win in two sets.
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