Polona Hercog upset the favoured Angelique Kerber at the Beijing WTA Masters 1000 on hard court in the second round, winning 6–4, 6–2. Kerber entered as the pre-match favourite with odds of 1.51, whilst Hercog was priced at 2.77, yet the Slovenian delivered a dominant performance to secure a decisive two-set victory. The result represented a significant upset in the round-robin stage, with Hercog controlling the match to advance past the German former world number one. The win marks a notable scalp for Hercog's campaign in the Chinese capital.