Every part you want to know concerning the 2023 Beijing remaining

BEIJING — No.2 Iga Swiatek and No.22 Liudmila Samsonova will face off on the China Open for the final WTA 1000 title of the season.

This is what you want to find out about Sunday’s showdown:

When is the ladies’s remaining?

The finals might be performed on Sunday, Oct. 8. The doubles remaining, which can pit Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo towards Chan Hao-Ching and Giuliana Olmos, might be performed at 4:30 p.m.

The singles remaining will comply with at 7:30 p.m.

The case for the Beijing finalists: Can Samsonova upset Swiatek?

What are the factors and prize cash at stake?

Each Swiatek and Samsonova have assured themselves 650 factors and $780,000 for making the ultimate. With World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka shedding within the quarterfinal stage, Swiatek has closed the purpose hole, thus tightening the battle for year-end No.1, which might be determined on the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico.  

With give attention to the longer term, Swiatek in no rush to reclaim No.1 rating

Together with her run to a second WTA 1000 remaining of the season, Samsonova has assured herself a return to the Prime 20 on Monday. A title would see her eclipse her career-high rating of No.12 to go away Beijing at No.11. 

The winner will depart with 1,000 factors and $1,324,000 in prize cash. 

How did Swiatek and Samsonova get right here?

Coming off a quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Veronika Kudermetova in Tokyo final week, Swiatek has misplaced only one set en path to her third WTA 1000 remaining of the season. She misplaced simply 14 video games throughout her first three matches, with wins towards Sara Sorribes Tormo, Varvara Gracheva, and her compatriot Magda Linette.

Swiatek’s hardest check got here within the quarterfinals towards No.10 Caroline Garcia. The 2017 Beijing champion got here inside two factors of the win twice, however Swiatek held her off to publish a 6-7(8), 7-6(2), 6-1 victory. Within the quarterfinals, Swiatek snapped US Open champion Coco Gauff’s 16-match win streak, profitable 6-2, 6-3 to avenge her loss to the American within the Cincinnati semifinals.

Unseeded in Beijing, Samsonova has come by way of a tricky draw to drop only one set. After straight-set wins over Alycia Parks and Petra Kvitova, Samsonova defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-5 within the Spherical of 16. She adopted that win with straight-set wins over thirteenth seed Jelena Ostapenko and fifth seed Rybakina. 

Samsonova’s win over Rybakina was her third Prime 5 win of the season and prolonged her dominance over the Kazakh participant to 4-0. She has now made the semifinals or higher at three of her previous six occasions.

How do they stack up?

Swiatek owns a 2-0 document towards Samsonova, having overwhelmed her in each clay and exhausting court docket. Their first assembly was a memorable one, with Swiatek profitable 6-7, 6-4, 7-5 within the 2022 Stuttgart semifinals. 

Their final assembly was one-way visitors, with Swiatek shedding only one sport earlier this 12 months in Dubai. 

What’s at stake?

Swiatek presently leads the tour with 62 match-wins this season and is tied with Gauff for essentially the most titles on tour with 4, having gained Doha, Stuttgart, Roland Garros and Warsaw. A win on Sunday would give her the outright lead in titles and make her the primary participant to win 5 or extra titles in back-to-back seasons since Serena Williams in 2015 and 2016. 

She can also be bidding to win at the least one WTA 1000 title for a 3rd consecutive season.

After shedding the No.1 rating after the US Open, Swiatek got here into the event trailing Aryna Sabalenka by 1,305 factors on the Race to the WTA Finals leaderboard. A win on Sunday would reduce Sabalenka’s lead all the way down to 630 factors.

Samsonova is bidding to win the most important title of her profession and fifth total. She is seeking to match her greatest win by rating, which got here with a victory over then-No.2 Aryna Sabalenka in Montreal this 12 months.

What are they saying? 

Samsonova: “I appreciated so much the way in which that I stepped on the court docket in Stuttgart towards her as a result of I stepped like, I am enjoying towards the No.1, so let’s have a look at and let’s attempt to do my greatest. No strain, nothing. That was the important thing. On the finish I used to be attempting to do my greatest, that is all. After I’m mentally like that, I can play my greatest tennis.”

Swiatek: “For certain at this event I really feel like I am serving higher. I had matches throughout this season the place I felt like I used to be serving nice, and I want I had that type of type when it comes to my serve each match. It was up and down.

“For certain on this event, it is working. I do not know precisely why. I am attempting to serve one of the simplest ways potential in each event. I really feel like, total, I am extra loosened up. I really feel extra free. Every part is just a little bit simpler than on previous tournaments.”

Samsonova: “I believe my serve and return would be the key tomorrow as a result of she performs very aggressive on the primary shot. The important thing, it may be to do it higher than her. I’ll attempt to push as I did all these matches right here, to be actually, actually aggressive.”

Swiatek: “I really feel like I am enjoying a fairly constant manner all through the entire season. I already performed many finals. It isn’t like I am treating it as a special match. I nonetheless wish to do the identical work.”