Top seed Magda Linette will face home favorite Xiyu Wang in the 2023 Guangzhou Open final. The match will be played on Saturday, September 23, 2023.

A terrific final is in store at the Guangzhou Open where top seed Magda Linette is looking to win her third career title. Linette, ranked 27th in the world, is the experienced player in this matchup against 22-year-old Chinese player Xiyu Wang who will contest her first Tour-level final in front of her home fans. The 31-year-old’s path to the final has been so assured, dodging a first-round upset against Jodie Burrage where she dropped her only set during the week. Linette took down Daria Saville quite routinely and passed her sternest test in the last eight where she defeated Rebeka Masarova 7-5, 7-6, in which she saved a grand total of four set points in both sets. She cantered into her first final of the season with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Yulia Putintseva in the semis where she did not relinquish a single service game.

Xiyu Wang, for her part, has also dropped one set this week, which came in the quarterfinal against Viktoria Hruncakova. The 22-year-old’s level belies her current ranking. She’s been a consistent force from the baseline, where her flat forehand tore apart Greet Minnen. Her serve still remains an area of weakness, but she’s taking some calculated risks with it and going big on her second delivery, hence coughing up as many as five double faults in each of her last two matches. But if she stays true to her strengths, she’ll unstoppable in baseline exchanges.

Magda Linette defeated Xiyu Wang in their previous encounter at the 2020 Hua Hin Championships. The Pole needed the full three sets to defeat Wang, a teenager back then who showcased a glimpse of her potential. It’s exciting times for Chinese tennis with three players currently occupying the world’s Top 40. Lest we forget, 22-year-old Wang was very much on the ascent at the start of the season, having been ranked as high as 49th. But an injury cruelly disrupted her momentum in Auckland and she struggled to get her campaign back on track in the first half of 2023. But she’s put the pieces together and her game clicked into place this week in her home country. Linette’s experience doesn’t count for nothing, she’s been very reliable this week, but her record in Tour-level finals reads two wins from five. There’s a good chance we’ll get three sets here, and we’re happy to take the youngster to bag her maiden title.