A spot in the next round is at stake on Wednesday, when Daria Snigur goes up against Katarzyna Kawa in the Beijing first round. Daria Snigur is searching for form, having lost 2 in a row (6 of the last 10). Katarzyna Kawa limps in on a 2-match losing skid, just 4 wins in 10.

The serve is where this match separates: Snigur has been winning 60.9% of first-serve points to Kawa's 57.5%, and on hard that gap compounds fast. The edge belongs to Snigur — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.