Zheng headlines Pan Pacific Open draw, Osaka and Pegula not in the mix

Zheng Qinwen, the world No 7 from China, is set to headline the 2024 Pan Pacific Open main draw as the No 1 seed. The WTA 500 tournament will run from October 21-27 on the hard courts of Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan.

Zheng will be challenged by other seeded opponents, including Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, Russian Daria Kasatkina, world No 12 Anna Kalinskaya, and Spain’s Paula Badosa. Defending champion Veronika Kudermetova will take the field as an unseeded contender.

Below is the list of seeded participants in Tokyo:

1. Zheng Qinwen
2. Beatriz Haddad Maia
3. Daria Kasatkina
4. Anna Kalinskaya
5. Paula Badosa
6. Diana Shnaider
7. Magdalena Frech
8. Leylah Fernandez

The top four seeds have received a bye in the first round.

American Jessica Pegula and former world No 1 Naomi Osaka will not fight for the trophy despite featuring on the entry list of the WTA 500 event.

Zheng’s path to Championship

Zheng comes into the Pan Pacific Open on the back of brilliant runs at the China Open (lost to Karolina Muchova in semi-finals) and Wuhan Open (lost to Aryna Sabalenka in final). However, the Chinese seems to be struggling with her health lately as she pulled out of the Ningbo Open a few days ago.

Following is her path to championship in Tokyo:

• Round of 32: Bye
• Round of 16: Moyuka Uchijima / Mika Stojsavljevic
• Quarter-finals: Leylah Fernandez / Varvara Gracheva
• Semi-finals: Anna Kalinskaya / Magdalena Frech
• Final: Beatriz Haddad Maia / Daria Kasatkina

Kudermetova’s draw

World No 63 Veronika Kudermetova defeated Jessica Pegula in the previous year’s final 7-5, 6-1 as the No 8 seed to win her second WTA Tour-level title. Kudermetova’s going through a rough patch in the season as she enters the Pan Pacific draw after a first-round loss to Romanian Ana Bogdan in her previous tournament.

Following is her path to a successful title defence in Tokyo:

• Round of 32: Viktoriya Tomova
• Round of 16: Anna Kalinskaya
• Quarter-finals: Magdalena Frech / Qualifier
• Semi-finals: Zheng Qinwen / Leylah Fernandez
• Final: Beatriz Haddad Maia / Daria Kasatkina

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