Tennis News

Road to Singapore leaderboard, Sunday Recap

RTS No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska and No.8 Madison Keys stay on course; RTS No.9 Carla Suárez Navarro crashes out; RTS No.11 Johanna Konta eases into second round

RTS No.6 Andrea Hlavackova / Lucie Hradecka lose tight opener; RTS No.8 Goerges/Pliskovaadvance comfortably

RTS No.13 Andreja Klepac / Katarina Srebotnik keep Singapore dreams alive by eliminating and ending the hopes of RTS No.9 Raquel Atawo / Abigail Spears

Click here for the complete China Open draws.

Monday Preview

If Keys loses to Kristina Mladenovic (4th match, Lotus, NB 6.30pm) then Karolina Pliskova and Agnieszka Radwanska will qualify for BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, regardless of their own results on Monday.

UPDATED LEADERBOARD

SINGLES:

Qualified: Angelique Kerber, Serena Williams, Simona Halep

Next In Line (Current Top 8):

How can they qualify in Beijing ?

(note: Scenarios will change if those currently in the Top 8 advance)

Pliskova – qualifies by reaching QF OR

· Keys fails to reach 3r (QF if Pliskova advances to 2r) OR

· Konta nor Kuznetsova reach final*

*both are in the same half so only one of these is possible

Radwanska – qualifies by reaching QF OR

· Keys fails to reach QF OR

· Konta nor Kuznetsova reach final *

*both are in the same half so only one of these is possible

Muguruza – qualifies by reaching final

Cibulkova – qualifies by winning title

Keys – qualifies by winning title

It is mathematically possible for Kuznetsova to qualify this week by winning the Beijing title BUT this would depend on a 2r defeat for Cibulkova.

It is no longer mathematically possible for Konta to qualify this week, even if she won the title.

Currently No.9 to No.13 with points behind current projected cut-off (3137)

It is interesting to note that four of the players that are battling for qualification – Muguruza, Keys, Kuznetsova and Kvitova are all in the same quarter of the Beijing draw, creating some potentially exciting matchups in the R16 at the China Open, a stage where Pliskova and Konta could also meet

DOUBLES

QUALIFIED: Garcia/Mladenovic, Hingis/Mirza, Makarova/Vesnina, Mattek-Sands/Safarova

NEXT IN LINE:

How do they qualify in Beijing:

Timea Babos / Yaroslava Shvedova qualify unless Sania Mirza / Barbora Strycova or Xu Yi-Fan / Zheng Saisai win the Beijing title OR by reaching the Beijing SF

Andrea Hlavcakova / Lucie Hradecka qualify unless Mirza/Strycova reach Beijing final or Xu/Zheng win the Beijing title

Chan Hao-Ching / Chan Yung-Jan qualify unless Mirza/Strycova or Xu/Zheng reach Beijing final OR by reaching the Beijing Final

Julia Goerges / Karolina Pliskova qualify by advancing to the same round or better than Mirza/Strycova and Xu/Zheng and if Klepac/Srebotnik don’t win Beijing title**

Remaining Teams in Possible Contention (points behind current cut-off)

**this will change and require a better result if Goerges/Pliskova advance.

BEIJING, China – The WTA’s biggest names were out in full force to celebrate the final Premier Mandatory event of the year at the China Open, but this was no average player party.

Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza, Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova and Caroline Wozniacki were among the names to hit the Beijing National Stadium – the iconic “Bird’s Nest Stadium” that played host to the 2008 Olympics’ Opening Ceremony – and took part in the China Open gala celebration.

The gala also served as the kickoff to the Song Qingling Foundation, which works to promote the development of tennis among Chinese children and teenagers.

Click below to check out the best photos of the night, courtesy of Visual China Group!

WEDNESDAY IN BEIJING: Madison Keys (RTS #8) plays Svetlana Kuznetsova (RTS #10) and Garbiñe Muguruza (RTS #6) will play Petra Kvitova (RTS #12) in what could be a decisive day on the Road to Singapore leaderboard. Who will hit the speed bumps? Who will stay on track?

Here is a player-by-player breakdown of who can qualify this week…

MUGURUZA: In its simplest form, Muguruza needs to win at least one more match. She can qualify for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global by reaching the quarterfinals AND Kuznetsova and Konta not reaching the semifinals. She can also secure qualification by advancing to the semifinals this week, regardless of other results.

KEYS: Keys can qualify by reaching the final (she is in the same half as Kuznetsova and Kvitova) and if Konta does not reach quarterfinals. She can secure qualification regardless, if she can win the title.

KUZNETSOVA: Kuznetsova qualifies for the WTA Finals by winning the title

Additionally, Kvitova will need to reach the Beijing final to become part of the mix of being an alternate in Singapore. She is also entered into Luxembourg.

SINGLES:

Qualified: Angelique Kerber, Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Agnieszka Radwanska, Karolina Pliskova

Next In Line (Current Top 8):

Currently No.9 to No.13 with points behind current projected cut-off (3257)

Who is Playing Where?

Muguruza: currently not entered in any other events

Cibulkova: Moscow

Keys: currently not entered in any other events

Konta: Hong Kong

Kuznetsova: Tianjin

Kvitova: Luxembourg

DOUBLES QUALIFICATION UPDATE

Doubles stays the same as yesterday…

If Sania Mirza / Barbora Strycova lose, Timea Babos / Yaroslava Shvedova, Andrea Hlavackova / Lucie Hradecka, Chan Hao-Ching / Chan Yung-Jan all qualify for WTA Finals

If Mirza/Strycova AND Andreja Klepac / Katarina Srebotnik lose, the doubles field will be set as Babos/Shvedova, Hlavackova/Hradecka, Chan Sisters and Karolina Pliskova / Julia Goerges will each qualify for the WTA Finals

QUALIFIED: Caroline Garcia / Kristina Mladenovic, Martina Hingis / Sania Mirza, Ekaterina Makarova / Elena Vesnina, Bethanie Mattek-Sands / Lucie Safarova

NEXT IN LINE:

Remaining Teams in Possible Contention (points behind current cut-off)

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

The doubles field for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global is now set after events in Beijing saw the final four qualifying berths decided on Wednesday.

Defeat for Sania Mirza and Barbora Strycova in the Chinese capital confirmed that Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova, Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan, Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka, and Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova will all be heading to Singapore for the season finale.

The four join earlier qualifiers Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic, Martina Hingis and Mirza, Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, and Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova in the eight-team knockout draw.

There is a wealth of experience amongst the final batch of qualifiers, with only Goerges and Pliskova making their Singapore debut. Two-time major winners Hlavackova and Hradecka were runners-up at the Finals in 2012, before reaching the semifinals on their return in 2015. The Chan sisters were also semifinalists 12 months ago, while Babos and Shvedova, have also qualified in the past, albeit with other partners.

The current Road to Singapore leaderboard as follows (as of October 3, 2016):