The #ShenzhenOpen field is getting stronger year by year, and 2019 will once again showcase the pinnacle of women’s tennis in Shenzhen. Being the new home of the WTA Finals, this is the first of two tournaments the city will host in the year and they are just one (of two) International tournaments which have a purse of $750,000, allowing two top-10 players to compete at the same time.
However, this year’s Shenzhen Open will not feature any top-10 player as nine of them opted to compete in other tournaments during the first week while defending champion and world number one Simona Halep will be delaying the start of her season. It was a relatively surprising decision made by the two-time champion, who had competed in Shenzhen for the past two years.
Nonetheless, this year’s line-up will still feature several world-class players and for the first time in the history of the tournament, a record-high four local players were directly accepted into the main draw per the WTA.
Sharapova and fellow hard-hitters headline the field
Five-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one #MariaSharapova joins the Shenzhen field for the second successive year after a groundbreaking debut this year. Reaching the semifinals with the overwhelming support from her huge fanbase in China, the Russian will look to kickstart her season in the best possible way and improve on her previous result next year.
The top seed of the tournament would be the hard-hitting rising star #ArynaSabalenka, who is on everyone’s list to crack the top-10 next year. The Belarusian competed as an unseeded player this year and lost to eventual champion Halep, but this year she returns as the world number 13 and the favourite to claim the title.
Former world number four #CarolineGarcia has had her own taste of success in China back in 2017, and she will start her season at the Shenzhen Open for the first time in her career as she looks to have a successful main draw debut in the city where the year-ending championships are also held in.
2017 Roland Garros champion and world number 22 #JelenaOstapenko will return to Shenzhen amidst her poor performance in the first round of competition this year which saw her being upset by Kristyna Pliskova in straight sets. Nonetheless, this time she aims to mount a deep run and gain the confidence she needs for the season.
It will be a rather packed field as former top-10 player #TimeaBacsinszky, who has recently returned from a right wrist injury, has entered the draw with a protected ranking. The Swiss’ last appearance in Shenzhen came all the way back in 2015 when she made the final having defeated fourth-ranked Petra Kvitova in the process.
Slated to be the eighth seed in the tournament, #AnastasiaPavlyuchenkova will make her debut at the Shenzhen Open after a disastrous 2018. Having opted to make a change to how she starts the new season, the Russian will be looking to improve on her previous year’s results and grab a confidence-boosting run in Shenzhen.
Local favourites look to take over the big stages
The star of the 2018 Asian swing is definitely none other than #WangQiang, who reached six consecutive semifinals (including three finals) to end off the season with. Her ranking rocketed up into the top-20 for the first time in her career and she looks to continue riding on her momentum in China with a deep run here in Shenzhen. However, she owns a slightly disappointing 5-5 win-loss record in the tournament but she has proved that the home pressure no longer affects her, but rather it motivates her instead.
Other seeded Chinese players include #ZhengSaisai and #ZhangShuai, who will be seeded sixth and seventh respectively. Both of them have achieved some impressive results at home in the past and will look to build on their successes, especially for Zheng who worked her way back into the top-40 despite starting the year ranked outside the top-100. The only other Chinese who received a direct entry into the main draw was #WangYafan, who dragged then-world number four Caroline Garcia to a tight three-hour marathon thriller at the China Open this year.
Two of the wildcards have already been confirmed — they have been handed to teenage sensations Wang Xiyu and #WangXinyu. Both of them have achieved recognition on the junior’s circuit and tournament organizers are hoping that the wildcard will be useful in their transition to the senior circuit.
Other notable players in action
#AlisonRiske, who reached the final in both 2016 and 2017, will be looking to go one step further after falling in the second round to Maria Sharapova despite leading by a set and a break this year. The American amassed a 9-3 win-loss record in Shenzhen and will be a threat to the seeded players due to her unseeded status.
Making their debuts in the main draw of Shenzhen would be #TatjanaMaria, #DalilaJakupovic, and #LuksikaKumkhum. Both #PaulineParmentier and #EvgeniyaRodina are winless in their past appearances, and they will be looking to grab at least one win this time round. Two-time quarterfinalist #ZarinaDiyas and this year’s semifinalist #IrinaCameliaBegu will be returning as well, hoping to replicate their success.
Other players in action include #OnsJabeur, #EkaterinaAlexandrova, #AnaBogdan, #AnnaKarolinaSchmiedlova, #MagdaLinette, and #SoranaCirstea.
NOTE: After this article was written, it was announced that Wang Xiyu will no longer be starting her season at the Shenzhen Open. Her wildcard was handed to former top-15 player Peng Shuai, while former world number two Vera Zvonareva joins the field as well.
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