Tennis News

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):

Dinara Safina walked away from tennis in 2011 after a persistent back injury forced her to retire, but not she racked up 12 WTA titles, reached three Grand Slam finals and rose to WTA World No.1 during her eleven years on tour.

Now, the Russian is putting all of her expertise to work as she takes up coaching at New York City’s MatchPoint NYC in Coney Island.

“I moved to New York for [the coaching], but also because I love it here, I wanted to move here,” Dinara told ESPNW’s Nick McCarvel.

“I’ve always had a feeling for New York. I just said to myself, ‘If I have something inside that wants to try New York, I should do it.’ Nothing is stopping me.”

After getting her law degree in Russia, doing temporary stints as player relations in Madrid and in Moscow, and even working at an IT firm, Dinara revealed that she has plans to continue working with young rising talent.

“I want to be back on tour as a coach, but there is no second life. We have one life. I gave it 100 percent when I was playing and I got injured. For me, it was a sign to have another part of my life. And now I want to help others get to where I was.”