Andreeva vs Bartunkova - 09:00 CET
Match news and form
Mirra Andreeva had no business winning her quarter-final match in straight sets, particularly after Ekaterina Alexandrova served for both sets. The teenager rallied from the brink in each set to defeat her older compatriot, 7-6, 7-6, for her first victory over the player in three attempts.
Andreeva has reached her fourth career WTA 1000 semi-final and the first in Beijing, where she has now won multiple matches for the fourth time in as many appearances. She has won eight sets in a row this fortnight, having earlier surpassed Yuan Yue, Polina Kudermetova, and Daria Snigur.
Nikola Bartunkova gets better with every passing week in her breakthrough season. The 20-year-old stunned compatriot and this year's Wimbledon finalist Karolina Muchova, 6-3, 6-0, in just 67 minutes. This became her third career top-10 win and has led to her third career semi-final.
Bartunkova had risen as high as No. 34 in the run-up to Beijing after reaching at least the third rounds of the Australian Open, Rome, Wimbledon, Toronto, and the US Open, along with quarter-final or better results at lower levels. It was still a huge surprise, though, when she stunned Aryna Sabalenka, 6-4, 6-3, in the third round in China.
Head-to-head
Andreeva leads this head-to-head 1-0 after winning their recent US Open third-round encounter, 6-2, 7-6.
Stats & facts
• Andreeva has an 8-3 career record in semi-finals and is 3-0 at the WTA 1000 level.
• Andreeva is about to play her first hard-court semi-final since winning the Adelaide title in January.
• Bartunkova is seeking her maiden career final after losing semi-finals in Guadalajara in 2025 and Monterrey recently.
• Bartunkova had a losing record of 5-1 against top-10 players before this fortnight but now seeks her third consecutive such win.
Betting analysis
Bartunkova has built a reputation after rising from outside the top 500 in June 2025 and now guaranteeing her top-30 debut. However, it may not be enough against Andreeva, who is slightly younger than the Czech but has been far more successful on the WTA Tour.
Andreeva in 2026
Best results: French Open, Linz, Adelaide (titles); Madrid (final)
Best results on outdoor hard courts: Adelaide (title)
Record: 49-15
Record in the last 10 matches: 8-2
Record on outdoor hard courts: 25-9
Record against top-50 players: 24-15 (career 68-42)
Record in WTA 1000 semi-finals: 1-0 (career 3-0)
Record in semi-finals: 4-1 (career 8-3)
Grand Slams: Australian Open (round of 16), French Open (title), Wimbledon (round of 64), US Open (quarter-finals)
Andreeva at the China Open
Career record: 11-3
Best result: Semi-finals (2026)
Last year's result: Round of 16
Record in semi-finals: 0-0
Preparation: Singapore (quarter-finals)
Road to the semi-finals: Bye, Yuan Yue (3-6, 6-0, 6-0), P. Kudermetova (6-4, 6-1), Snigur (6-2, 6-2), (19) Alexandrova (7-6, 7-6)
Bartunkova in 2026
Best results: Monterrey (semi-finals)
Best results on outdoor hard courts: Monterrey (semi-finals)
Record: 38-20
Record in the last 10 matches: 8-2
Record on outdoor hard courts: 23-10
Record against top-10 players: 3-5 (career 3-5)
Record in WTA 1000 semi-finals: 0-0 (career 0-0)
Record in semi-finals: 0-1 (career 0-2)
Grand Slams: Australian Open (round of 32), French Open (round of 128), Wimbledon (round of 32), US Open (round of 32)
Bartunkova at the China Open
Career record: 4-0
Best result: Semi-finals (2026)
Last year's result: Did not play
Record in semi-finals: 0-0
Preparation: None
Road to the semi-finals: Bye, Frech (6-2, 6-2), (2) Sabalenka (6-4, 6-3), Kraus (6-0, 4-6, 6-3), (7) Muchova (6-3, 6-0)
Zheng vs Mertens - 13:00 CET
Match news and form
Qinwen Zheng continues to delight her home crowd and has jumped into the Beijing semi-final for the second time in her career. The former world No. 4 was quite close to being pushed to a deciding set for the fifth match in a row, but edged Elina Svitolina, 6-3, 7-6, with a tight tiebreak.
In contrast, Zheng needed the scenic route against Shi Han, Anna Kalinskaya, Marie Bouzkova, and Alina Charaeva, even if two of those opponents were ranked outside the top 100. The 24-year-old continues her path of resurgence, which recently received a boost with a US Open quarter-final.
Elise Mertens is not yet done collecting big scalps in Beijing, a tournament where she had never won consecutive matches in six past appearances. The Belgian backed up her victories over Jelena Ostapenko and 2024 champion Coco Gauff with a win over another former champion, Iga Swiatek.
Mertens stunned Swiatek, 7-6, 6-3, in the quarter-finals after refusing to lose a point in the tiebreak. The world No. 19 was having a lukewarm season for the most part until this fortnight, having failed to reach a quarter-final until Wimbledon and later settling for a WTA 500 final in Monterrey.
Head-to-head
Zheng leads 1-0 after winning their April 2025 encounter on the green clay courts of Charleston in three sets.
Stats & facts
• Zheng lost her only previous Beijing semi-final affair to Karolina Muchova in straight sets in 2024.
• Zheng is seeking her second WTA 1000 final (2024 Wuhan) and her first instance of multiple top-20 wins in a single outing since the 2024 WTA Finals.
• Mertens has a losing record of 2-0 in WTA 1000 semi-finals after losing those in Cincinnati in 2020 and Dubai in 2021.
• Mertens has been to only three career finals above WTA 250 level and only one in the last five years (2026 Monterrey).
Betting analysis
Mertens has already defied the odds plenty this fortnight, including recording her season's third and fourth top-10 wins. She will be a tough challenge for Zheng, but it seems slightly more likely that the local star will continue to ride the home support and slip into the final.
Zheng in 2026
Best results: Beijing (semi-finals)
Best results on outdoor hard courts: Beijing (semi-finals)
Record: 23-15
Record in the last 10 matches: 8-2
Record on outdoor hard courts: 18-7
Record against top-20 players: 3-5 (career 27-38)
Record in WTA 1000 semi-finals: 0-0 (career 1-2)
Record in semi-finals: 0-0 (career 10-5)
Grand Slams: Australian Open (did not play), French Open (round of 128), Wimbledon (round of 128), US Open (quarter-finals)
Zheng at the China Open
Career record: 10-3
Best result: Semi-finals (2024, 2026)
Last year's result: Round of 32
Record in semi-finals: 0-1
Preparation: None
Road to the semi-finals: Shi Han (7-6, 4-6, 6-2), (15) Kalinskaya (6-7, 6-4, 3-0 ret.), (18) Bouzkova (7-6, 4-6, 7-5), Charaeva (6-1, 2-6, 6-4), (6) Svitolina (6-3, 7-6)
Mertens in 2026
Best results: Monterrey (final)
Best results on outdoor hard courts: Monterrey (final)
Record: 34-19
Record in the last 10 matches: 7-3
Record on outdoor hard courts: 21-10
Record against top-50 to top-100 players: 11-5 (career 142-50)
Record in WTA 1000 semi-finals: 0-0 (career 0-2)
Record in semi-finals: 1-0 (career 16-10)
Grand Slams: Australian Open (round of 16), French Open (round of 64), Wimbledon (quarter-finals), US Open (round of 32)
Mertens at the China Open
Career record: 7-6
Best result: Semi-finals (2026)
Last year's result: Round of 64
Record in semi-finals: 0-0
Preparation: Singapore (quarter-finals)
Road to the semi-finals: Bye, Volynets (6-0, 4-6, 7-5), (24) Ostapenko (6-2, 3-6, 6-3), (3) Gauff (6-3, 6-3), (8) Swiatek (7-6, 6-3)