The final WTA 500 match of 2024 kicked off in Tokyo, whereas play additionally started in China on Monday…
Tokyo | WTA 500 Toray PPO Tennis
World No 7 Zheng Qinwen from China leads the sector in Tokyo this week, with Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia and Russia’s Daria Kasatkina rounding out the Prime 3 seeds.
Though the defending champion Veronica Kudermetova was additionally set to return, there’s a regarding record of absentees once more, with Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro (because of sickness), Danielle Collins (poor well being), Barbora Krejcikova (again/proper hip), Liudmilla Samsonova, Maria Sakkari (proper shoulder), Marta Kostyuk (left thigh), Donna Vekic (ankle), Mirra Andreeva (age eligibility rule), and Elise Mertens (proper shoulder), all ailing, and Anna Kalinskaya (hip damage) and Paula Badosa (sickness) withdrawing after the draw was carried out.
Additionally lacking are the brand new World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No 2 Iga Swiatek, their absence compounding the battle for the year-end prime rating, whereas Ons Jabeur, Elina Svotlina and Naomi Osaka are amongst these to finish their seasons early for a wide range of causes.
Zheng returns contemporary off her stellar run by way of the China swing, which included her first WTA 1000 semi-final on the China Open, and first WTA 1000 ultimate look on the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open.
The 22-year-old surged up the PIF Race to the WTA Finals Leaderboard to safe the ultimate qualifying spot for the season-ending championships, a becoming finish to a 12 months, which noticed the Chinese language win Olympic Gold and make her first Grand Slam ultimate on the Australian Open.
Zheng made the Tokyo ultimate in her match debut in 2022, and returns this 12 months because the No 1 seed with a bye into the 2nd-round, the place she’s going to face both Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima or British wild-card, Mika Stojsavljevic.
The 15-year outdated etched her title within the historical past books after changing into the primary British participant to win the US Open junior title in 15 years.
The primary seeded participant Zheng may face is No 8 seed Leylah Fernandez from Canada, who survived a 1st-round problem from fortunate loser Aliaksandra Sasnovich, forging forward 5-7 6-2, 5-2 on Monday, when the Belarusian was compelled to retire because of problem respiratory after a 2-hour, 44-minute battle within the final WTA 500 match of the 12 months.
Fernandez will subsequent face France’s Varvara Gracheva, who was a 6-1 7-6(4) winner over Japan’s Mai Hontama.
Guadalajara champion Magdalena Frech from Poland and Russia’s Diana Shnaider anchor the second quarter of the draw.
Shnaider, who moved right into a seeded place after Kalinskaya withdrew, will face Viktoriya Tomova within the 2nd-round, after the Bulgarian took down Kudermetova, 7-6(3) 6-3 on Monday.
Kasatkina and China’s Wang Xiyu are the highest seeds within the third quarter, with the Russian, who gained the Ningbo Open on Sunday earlier than heading to Tokyo, going through both Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto or McCartney Kessler from the USA in her opener.
No 2 seed Haddad Maia leads the ultimate quarter of the draw, and takes on Canadian Bianca Andreescu, the wild-card surviving a stern check from Japanese qualifier Mei Yamaguchi on Day 1.
Andreescu, who got here from 3-1 down within the first set to defeat Yamaguchi, who was enjoying her first WTA main-draw match, to attain her first match win for the reason that Paris Olympic Video games in July.
Britain’s Katie Boulter moved right into a seeded place after Badosa withdrew, and must overturn a 0-3 deficit in her head-to-head with Australia’s Priscilla Hon, a qualifier, I to open her marketing campaign.
Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez upset No 7 seed Magdalena Frech from Poland, 1-6 6-4 6-3, her 2nd Prime 30 win of her profession, following her defeat of Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska in Berlin qualifying in June.
20-year outdated wild-card Wei Sijia upset Sixth-seeded Rebecca Sramkova on the WTA 250 Guangzhou Open offered by AVAIR
on Monday
WTAtennis.com
Guangzhou | WTA 250 Guangzhou Open offered by AVAIR
Chinese language wild-card Wei Sijia rolled to a 6-1 6-4 upset win over Sixth-seeded Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia in opening-round motion in China on Monday
The 20-year-old Wei, ranked No 135 on this planet, saved 4 of 5 break factors within the 75-minute victory, and can face both Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands or China’s Xiyu Wang within the 2nd-round.
Olga Danilovic of Serbia defeated Russia’s Erika Andreeva, 6-4 6-4, and Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian outlasted Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland, 6-4 2-6 6-1, in different 1st-round matches on Day 1.
