Sixth seed Elina Svitolina is set to take on 25th seed Maria Sakkari in an intriguing round-of-32 encounter at the 2026 China Open on Lotus Court. Svitolina, currently ranked No. 7 in the world, has enjoyed a strong campaign this season, compiling a 44-13 record and collecting two singles titles. However, she was pushed hard in her previous match, recovering from a first-set loss to overcome Katerina Siniakova 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. Her defensive resilience and consistency remain major strengths, although another slow start could give Sakkari an early advantage.
Sakkari comes into the contest with a 21-18 record but looked far more convincing in her previous outing, cruising past Storm Hunter 6-2, 6-2 to reach the third round. The world No. 33 has also spoken about moving away from the pressure of constantly worrying about her ranking, allowing her to play with greater freedom and aggression. While Svitolina’s current form makes her the standout on paper, Sakkari’s previous success against her on quicker hard courts adds an interesting layer to the matchup. If the Greek can make the most of her break-point chances and maintain her attacking intensity, she could make life difficult for the higher-ranked Svitolina.
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