Ningbo Open 2025 Day 4: Women's singles predictions ft. Jasmine Paolini vs Veronika Kudermetova, Liudmila Samsonova vs McCartney Kessler

Day 4 of the Ningbo Open will feature the remaining second-round matches. Sixth seed Belina Bencic fought back from a set down to beat Yuliia Starodubtseva 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 in the second round on Wednesday.

Seventh seed Diana Shnaider also staged a comeback to score a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over former French Open finalist Karolina Muchova. They were joined in the quarterfinals by Ajla Tomljanovic.

The rest of the players will now aim to join them in the last eight on Thursday. On that note, here's a look at the predictions for the second-round matches set for Day 4 of the 2025 Ningbo Open:

#1 Jasmine Paolini vs Veronika Kudermetova

Paolini is enjoying her time in Asia, having reached the quarterfinals of the China Open in singles and won the doubles title. She also made the semifinals of the Wuhan Open a week ago. She lost to eventual champions Amanda Anisimova and Coco Gauff, respectively. She has now put herself on the cusp of qualifying for the WTA Finals, only needing to remain ahead of Elena Rybakina to secure her spot.

Paolini received a bye into the second round of the Ningbo Open, while her opponent, Kudermetova, beat Antonia Ruzic 6-3, 6-2 in the first round. Their rivalry is tied at 2-2 in main-draw matches at the WTA level.

Paolini won their most recent tussle at the Cincinnati Open earlier this year in three sets. Given her current form, it's unlikely their upcoming showdown will go the distance.

Predicted winner: Jasmine Paolini to win in straight sets.

#2 Liudmila Samsonova vs McCartney Kessler

Liudmila Samsonova is the eighth seed at the Ningbo Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Samsonova beat Guo Hanyu 6-2, 6-4 to reach the second round of the Ningbo Open, while Kessler handed compatriot Sofia Kenin a 6-1, 6-0 beatdown. This will be Samsonova and Kessler's first career meeting.

Both players have been inconsistent during the Asian swing. Samsonova left the China Open without a win and then reached the third round of the Wuhan Open. Kessler, on the other hand, lost in the fourth round of the China Open but failed to clear the first hurdle in Wuhan.

Both players also have a similar win-loss record this year. Samsonova has tallied 30 wins against 22 losses, while Kessler has posted 29 wins against 21 losses. This match is a toss-up based on their results and style of play.

Predicted winner: McCartney Kessler to win in three sets.