Three co-favorites had to say goodbye in the second round of the WTA Premier 5 event: Simona Halep, Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina.
At least Petra Kvitova can be relied on in Wuhan: The two-time Wimbledon winner, who, according to her own statements, has almost nothing better to do than play tennis in China, had no problems against Aleksandra Krunic. Quite unlike Karolina Pliskova. Kvitova’s compatriot, who had finished the run of US Open winner Naomi Osaka in Tokyo on Sunday, had to admit defeat to the new Chinese number one, Wang Qiang, in three sets.
Osaka didn’t get to Wuhan at all, Pliskova, who is currently in one of the top eight places in the Race to Singapore, suffered a setback. In the last party of the day, Simona Halep, the world number one, was also scored: Dominika Cibulkova, the top seed, who had gone into the match in a battered condition, said goodbye 6:0 and 7:5.
Aryna Sabalenka, the 20-year-old Belarusian, is still well on her way. Sabalenka, who won her first title on the WTA Tour before the US Open in New Haven, beat Elina Svitolina 6-4, 2-6 and 6-1. Remarkably, it was Sabalenka’s 19th three-set success in the current season – and her seventh win against a top ten player.
Convincing finally Garbine Muguruza, who left Viktorija Golubic from Switzerland only one game. The Spaniard had already paid Allison van Uytwanck back for her first-round defeat at Wimbledon.
From a German point of view, there was light also shadow to report: While Angelique Kerber benefited from the abandonment of Madison Keys, Julia Görges surprisingly lost to the US qualifier Sofia Kenin. Kerber meets Ashleigh Barty from Australia in round three.
Here the single tableau in Wuhan