Top seed Alexander Zverev opens his Beijing campaign against Cameron Norrie, and the matchup leans clearly toward the German. Zverev arrives fresh off winning his second major at the US Open and is chasing ground on Jannik Sinner in the year-end No. 1 race, so he has real incentive to start quickly.
Norrie is a grinder who lives on depth, left-handed patterns and long exchanges. That style can trouble players who rush, but Zverev's serve and flat backhand give him a big margin on a fast hard court. If Zverev serves well he should control the majority of rallies, and Norrie's lack of a big weapon makes it hard for him to hit through the top seed.
The danger for Zverev is a slow start, as opening rounds after a big title run sometimes bring a flat performance. Norrie will make him play every point, but a sustained upset would require Zverev's first serve to leave him for a full set.
A potential quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic looms, which is another reason Zverev will want to save energy here.
Prediction: Zverev to win in straight sets. Confidence: high.