The race to be included in the BNP Paribas WTA Finals continues to intrigue this week, as stories regarding top players scheduled to play, or still campaigning to feature in the year-ending event illuminate a fantastic end to the season.
Amongst the latest developments in Maria Sharapova’s withdrawal from Wuhan this week has caused concern about her participation for many further event this year. The Russian former World no.1 has not played a full match since Wimbledon, and has struggled with her team in the last few months, short-lived spell with former Wimbledon champion Jimmy Connors failed to positively impact her game. The early prognosis provides some relief; it is not the same leg injury that plagued her throughout the summer, causing her to miss the US Open. Yet it is an arm injury, the extent of which is not yet known. Sharapova has already committed to playing The Fed Cup, to enable her to play next year’s Olympics event in Rio de Janeiro. Given her injury-plagued season, it is not out of the realm of possibility that she may pull out of the WTA Finals to rest for the Fed Cup. Sharapova is one of three players already confirmed as having qualified for the event, along with Serena Williams and Simona Halep.
Rules for qualifications differ from the men’s game. Points that go towards qualification must come from all four Grand Slams and the Premier events in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, and China. The best two results from the Premier 5 events, and a total of six other best results from outside these events may also count. An interesting situation for Flavia Pennetta is that her US Open victory does not guarantee her automatic participation. This was a luxury afforded to men’s singles US Open champion 2014, Marin Cilic, who was automatically included despite not being ranked within the top 8. As things stand Pennetta is still on course to qualify, currently sixth in the rankings.
Serena Williams has a record of picking and choosing the events that appeal to her, not playing every event on the tour. Her coach has remarked that “motivation may be low” after her defeat at the US Open. She had been chasing the first complete Slam since Steffi Graf. The absence of the World number 1 would be a huge blow to the tournament, and could serve to undermine the women’s game. Yet she has played (and won) in each of the last three years, with the last year she did not appear coming in 2011.
Other backstories include the push to qualify. Petra Kvitova, Lucie Safarova, Angelique Kerber, and Carla Suarez Navarro all hold qualifying positions in the rankings. Kvitova and Safarova are close to qualifying for the event, with just three weeks of events remaining. Emphasising how close the run-in this year is, just forty-two points separate Angelique Kerber in seventh from Garbine Muguruza in eleventh, with surging Belinda Bencic perhaps making a late charge. Agnieszka Radwanska is also very much in the hunt. Many positions could change based on a single round’s play in a major event, such as the Wuhan Open this week
Everything is still very much to play for in this remarkable season. Grand Slam play may be finished for the year, but the tennis is no less dramatic.
