Sabalenka eyes hat trick at Wuhan Open against Gauff, Pegula
The Belarusian triumphed in Wuhan in 2018 and 2019. The tournament returns to the WTA Tour after five years
(Chryslene Caillaud / Panoramic)
The Wuhan Open recently rolled out its main draw with two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka atop the list of seeded participants, followed by American Jessica Pegula, Italian Jasmine Paolini and world No 6 Coco Gauff. The WTA 1000 event has returned to the calendar after a five-year hiatus.
The main draw actions will run from October 7-13 at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center in Wuhan, China. The field will feature 56 competitors, out of which 16 have entered the draw as seeded players:
- Aryna Sabalenka (1)
- Jessica Pegula (2)
- Jasmine Paolini (3)
- Coco Gauff (4)
- Zheng Qinwen (5)
- Emma Navarro (6)
- Barbora Krejcikova (7)
- Daria Kastakina (8)
The top eight have received byes in the first round.
- Beatriz Haddad Maia (9)
- Anna Kalinskaya (10)
- Liudmila Samsonova (11)
- Diana Shnaider (12)
- Marta Kostyuk (13)
- Paula Badosa (14)
- Donna Vekic (15)
- Mirra Andreeva (16)
SABALENKA’S DRAW
Aryna Sabalenka will lead the top half of the main draw in the absence of world No 1 Iga Swiatek. She will eye a hat-trick of titles in Wuhan, having won the event in 2018 and 2019.
The Belarusian defeated Estonian Anett Knotaveit (6-3, 6-3) in the 2018 final to win the biggest title of her career then. She defended her title the following year by overcoming Alison Riske-Amritraj (6-3, 3-6, 6-1) in the summit clash as the ninth seed. Following is her potential Wuhan Open draw this year:
- First round: Bye
- Second round: Katerina Siniakova/Alexandra Eala
- Third round: Donna Vekic/Zhang Shuai
- Quarter-finals: Emma Navarro/Beatriz Haddad Maia
- Semi-finals: Coco Gauff/Daria Kasatkina
- Final: Jessica Pegula/Jasmine Paolini
PEGULA’S DRAW
Jessica Pegula, the world No 3, is the top seed in the bottom half of the draw. For the American, who turned pro in 2009, this will only be her second campaign in Wuhan, with the first one ending in the first round in 2019.
Pegula comes into the tournament on the back of a runner-up finish at US Open and a run to the Round of 16 in Beijing. Following is the list of players she may face in Wuhan:
- First round: Bye
- Second round: Anastasia Potapova/Katie Volynets
- Third round: Paula Badosa/Wang Xinyu
- Quarter-finals: Barbora Krejcikova/Ekaterina Alexandrova
- Semi-finals: Jasmine Paolini/Zheng Qinwen
- Final: Aryna Sabalenka/Coco Gauff
GAUFF’S DRAW
Coco Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, will make her Wuhan Open debut this year. Gauff is one step away from winning the China Open title as she battled past Badosa (4-6, 6-4, 6-2) in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Gauff has been awarded the fourth seed in the Wuhan main draw. Here’s her potential road to the title:
- First round: Bye
- Second round: Ashlyn Krueger/Viktoriya Tomova
- Third round: Marta Kostyuk/Amanda Anisimova
- Quarter-finals: Daria Kasatkina/Liudmila Samsonova
- Semi-finals: Aryna Sabalenka/Emma Navarro
- Final: Jessica Pegula/Zheng Qinwen
FIRST ROUND MATCHES
Zhang Shuai vs Yulia Putintseva: Thirty-five-year-old Zhang Shuai will take on Yulia Putintseva, the world No 32 from Kazakhstan, in the first round. Zhang’s campaign will be the one to follow for tennis fans as she comes off an inspired run in China Open, where she snapped a 24-match losing streak and made it to the quarter-finals. The Chinese hasn’t faced Putintseva on the Tour yet.
Mirra Andreeva vs Wang Xiyu: Mirra Andreeva, the 17-year-old Russian tennis sensation, will kickstart her maiden Wuhan Open campaign against Chinese wildcard Wang Xiyu. The two previously met in the first round of Wimbledon in 2023, when Andreeva prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.
