Sabalenka, Pegula headline pivotal WTA 1000 showdown in China

BEIJING — US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and finalist Jessica Pegula lead the draw at the China Open, the penultimate WTA 1000 event of the season.

Beijing: Scores | Order of Play | Draws

Main-draw play begins on Wednesday, Sept. 25. The top 32 seeds receive a first-round bye.

Defending champion and World No.1 Iga Swiatek withdrew from the tournament ahead of the draw citing personal reasons.

First quarter

Fresh off her second major title of the year at the US Open, World No.2 Sabalenka is seeded No.1 in Beijing and will open against either a qualifier or lucky loser. She is a two-time quarterfinalist in Beijing and goes into the final weeks of the season with an eye toward chasing down No.1 Swiatek to finish the year atop the PIF WTA Rankings. Both Swiatek and Sabalenka have already secured qualification for the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Sabalenka and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova are the top seeds in the top quarter, with Sabalenka riding a 12-match win streak. Seeded No.7, Krejcikova is playing just her third tournament since her Wimbledon win.

Looming in the top quarter is Seoul champion Beatriz Haddad Maia, who has made the final or better at two of her last three tournaments. She has won 12 of her past 14 matches and is knocking on the door of a return to the Top 10 on the PIF WTA Rankings.

Second quarter

World No.5 Jasmine Paolini and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen anchor the second quarter. Seoul finalist and No.9 seed Daria Kasatkina, 16th seed Donna Vekic and 17th seed Mirra Andreeva have also landed in this section.

Playing her first tournament on home soil this year, Zheng was scheduled to face Emma Raducanu in the second round before the 2021 US Open champion pulled out due to a left foot injury.

Zheng enters the week at No.9 on the Race. The final weeks of the season will prove pivotal for Zheng as she chases qualification for her first WTA Finals. She trails the No.8 spot by 108 points, behind Danielle Collins, who is not playing this week. Zheng is 498 points behind Emma Navarro for the pivotal No.7 spot, which would guarantee qualification.

Third quarter

No.6 Coco Gauff and No.13 Jelena Ostapenko anchor the third quarter. A semifinalist last year, Gauff is playing her first tournament since bowing out in the Round of 16 at the US Open. Last week, she announced a split with coach Brad Gilbert. Gauff, who sits at No.6 on the Race, is trying to lock down her third straight qualification for the WTA Finals. She will face either Clara Burel or Caroline Dolehide in the second round.

2019 champion Naomi Osaka has been drawn in this quarter and will face Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in the first round. The winner will take on 21st seed Yulia Putintseva in the second round, with 14th seed Marta Kostyuk looming as a third-round opponent.

Fourth quarter

No.2 seed Jessica Pegula and No.6 seed Emma Navarro are the top seeds in the final quarter. Coming off her first major final in New York, Pegula withdrew ahead of her title defense last week in Seoul. She will face either Diane Parry or a lucky loser in the second round.

Pegula was a finalist at the WTA Finals in Cancun last year. She enters the week at No.5 on the Race and is trying to lock up qualification for her third straight year-end championship.