Mirra Andreeva vs. Polina Kudermetova — China Open 2026 Third-Round Match Report
Mirra Andreeva is beginning to look like the seeded player most determined to make Beijing count.
After recovering from a set down against Yue Yuan by winning 12 consecutive games, the world No. 5 followed it with a controlled 6-4, 6-1 victory over Polina Kudermetova, moving into the China Open last 16 while keeping a new career-high ranking firmly within reach.
Kudermetova arrived with momentum of her own. She started 2026 at No. 167 and has climbed to No. 104, then opened her Beijing run with three-set victories over Ye Xin Ma and No. 32 seed Clara Tauson.
Andreeva, though, proved a much bigger ask.
Since dropping that opening set to Yuan in the previous round, she has now won 24 of her last 29 games.
Kudermetova Makes the First Set Competitive
The opening set was far tighter than the final scoreline of the match suggests.
Breaks came from both sides, and Kudermetova repeatedly found ways to keep Andreeva from pulling clear.
The Russian moved ahead, was pegged back, and then had to rebuild the advantage more than once as the set reached 4-4.
That was where Andreeva finally imposed herself.
She took the ninth game for 5-4 and then closed out the set 6-4, converting the late pressure into the separation she had been searching for throughout the opener.
Kudermetova had stayed with her for most of the set.
She would not do so for much longer.
Andreeva Runs Away With the Second
The second set became increasingly one-sided.
Andreeva moved ahead early and began controlling the service games far more comfortably than Kudermetova.
Once the first break arrived, the gap widened quickly.
Kudermetova could not produce the same resistance she had shown in the opener, while Andreeva kept forcing her onto the defensive.
At 1-3, another break pushed the No. 5 seed further ahead.
A hold made it 5-1.
Then Andreeva broke once more to finish the match 6-1.
What had been a competitive first set ended as another emphatic Beijing scoreline.
Nine Winners Were More Than Enough
One statistic stands out immediately.
Andreeva hit only nine winners.
Kudermetova hit 28.
Yet Andreeva won the match comfortably.
The explanation lies on the other side of the ledger.
Kudermetova committed 48 unforced errors, nearly three times Andreeva’s 18.
Andreeva did not need to chase spectacular shots when her consistency was doing so much damage by itself.
The dominance ratio reflected the difference: 1.35 for Andreeva against 0.74 for Kudermetova.
She also won 70 of the 122 points played.
Andreeva Owns the Pressure Points
Andreeva won 22 of 29 pressure points, a remarkable 76 percent.
Kudermetova managed only seven.
The world No. 5 also saved seven of the nine break points she faced while converting five of seven opportunities on return.
That efficiency mattered in the opening set, when Kudermetova was still making the match uncomfortable.
Andreeva rarely allowed one difficult game to become two.
Her first serve helped. She landed 73 percent of them and won 65 percent of those points, while Kudermetova won only 47 percent behind her own first delivery.
Andreeva also struck six aces and committed just one double fault.
Full Match Stats Polina Kudermetova vs Mirra Andreeva
| Kudermetova | Statistic | Andreeva |
|---|---|---|
| Full Match Duration: 1h09m | ||
| 0.74 | Dominance Ratio | 1.35 |
| 28 | Winners | 9 |
| 48 | Unforced Errors | 18 |
| 178 | Serve Rating | 265 |
| 2 | Aces | 6 |
| 5 | Double Faults | 1 |
| 54% (30/56) | 1st Serve % | 73% (48/66) |
| 47% (14/30) | 1st Serve Points Won | 65% (31/48) |
| 42% (11/26) | 2nd Serve Points Won | 44% (8/18) |
| 29% (2/7) | Break Points Saved | 78% (7/9) |
| 135 | Return Rating | 245 |
| 35% (17/48) | 1st Return Points Won | 53% (16/30) |
| 56% (10/18) | 2nd Return Points Won | 58% (15/26) |
| 2/9 | Break Points Won | 5/7 |
| 52 | Total Points Won | 70 |
Polina Kudermetova’s Beijing Run Still Marks Progress
The defeat should not obscure the progress Kudermetova has made this season.
From No. 167 at the start of the year to No. 104 now, her trajectory has been strongly upward.
Beijing added to it.
She recovered from losing the opening set against Ye Xin Ma to win 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-2, then removed No. 32 seed Clara Tauson 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Those were two significant wins.
Andreeva simply represented another level.
A New Career High Is Now Within Reach
Andreeva entered this stage sitting at No. 5, already matching her career high, with 5,841 projected ranking points.
Coco Gauff remains immediately above her, while the early exits of Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka have already removed two of the biggest names from Beijing.
That leaves Andreeva with an unusually valuable opportunity.
Keep winning, and a new career-high ranking comes into play.
More importantly, her tennis currently looks capable of sustaining the chase.
Since the first set against Yue Yuan went wrong, Andreeva has responded with 6-0, 6-0, 6-4, 6-1.
Among the remaining seeds, few look more intent on taking advantage of what Beijing has suddenly offered.
Ukraine’s Daria Snigur is next.