Mayar Sherif vs Polina Kudermetova Preview & Prediction | 2026 China Open | First Round

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Mayar Sherif takes on Polina Kudermetova in round one of the China Open. 

Ranking points: WTA 1000

Start date/time: 30 September 2026 at 5:15 am

Venue: National Tennis Center, Beijing, China

Surface: Outdoor hard

How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports Tennis / USA – Tennis Channel

How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / USA – Tennis Channel

Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Mayar Sherif vs Polina Kudermetova ticket information

Mayar Sherif vs Polina Kudermetova prediction

Maya Sherif has enjoyed a resurgence this season and returned to the top 50 of the world rankings. It has been driven overwhelmingly by her fine performances on clay, as she won the WTA 125 title in Brescia and then followed that up with an even bigger title a week later at the Iasi Open, beating former world number two Paula Badosa in the final. Her record on hard courts has not been as convincing, and she could only win three games against Nikola Bartunkova in the first-round of the US Open last time out.

Her opening round opponent in Beijing is Polina Kudermetova. She competed in Seoul last week, falling to a first-round defeat to Kamilla Rakhimova in three sets. Kudermetova is close to breaking into the top 100 of the rankings again and has also advanced to two WTA 125 finals. 

Kudermetova will view this as a fantastic opportunity to win a third tour-level match of the campaign, and the fast court surface is likely to suit her flat hitting style. 

Mayar Sherif vs Polina Kudermetova tip: Polina Kudermetova to win