appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Jonathan White

China’s Zhang Shuai and her partner Samantha Stosur of Australia have been kept away from the world’s top two doubles pairings in the WTA Finals draw ahead of the season ending showdown in Mexico.
The draw was announced at the opening gala of the event on Monday night at the Palacio Municipal de Zapopan, with the group names a nod to the cities of pre-Columbian Mexico.
US Open champions Zhang, 32, and Stosur, 37, have been drawn in the Group Tenochtitlán at the Guadalajara event.
The veteran fifth seeds will face the Japanese second seeds Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara, fourth seeded Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands, and seventh seeds Darija Jurak of Croatia and Andreja Klepac of Slovenia.

Making their second consecutive appearance as a team at the @WTAFinals!

@bambamsam30 and @zhangshuai121 have enjoyed an end-of-season surge @Porsche | #RaceToTheWTAFinals pic.twitter.com/iY9u6jMjpi
— wta (@WTA) October 20, 2021

The other pool play – in the Group El Tajin – sees top seeded Czech duo Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova joined by third seeds Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan and Belgium’s Elise Mertens, along with sixth seeds Alexa Guarachi of Chile and Desirae Krawczyk of the US, and Sharon Fichman of Canada and Giuliana Olmos of Mexico.
Wimbledon winners Hsieh and Mertens are ranked No 1 and No 4 respectively on the WTA doubles rankings, which were updated on Monday, with Siniakova at No 2 and Krejcikova at No 3.
Former China No 1 Wang Qiang drops out of WTA Top 100
Round robin group action begins on November 10 in Mexico, where the season ending event was moved from Shenzhen.
In the singles draw, top seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus leads the Group Chichén Itzá along with the in-form fourth seed Maria Sakkari of Greece, fifth seed Iga Swiatek of Poland and Spanish seventh seed Paula Badosa.
The Group Teotihuacán sees second seed Krejcikova and her compatriot Pliskova, the third seed, joined by Spain’s sixth seed Garbiñe Muguruza and eighth seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia.
As well as playing for the WTA Finals Billie Jean King Ttrophy in the singles and the WTA Finals Martina Navratilova Trophy in the doubles there is also US$5 million in prize money on offer.


Philippines seek WTA exemption as Alexandra Eala skips China Open for Asian Games

China’s newest tennis star Sun facing familiar foe in third junior grand slam final

Meet Jelena Ostapenko, the fiery Latvian tennis star making headlines over US Open drama

Zheng Qinwen says return to form ‘painful process’ after win over Iga Swiatek at US Open

WTA (Women's Tennis Association)

WTA Finals: Zhang Shuai-Samantha Stosur avoid Hsieh Su-wei-Elise Mertens in Guadalajara groups

Zhang Shuai of China and Australia’s Samantha Stosur celebrate with the championship trophy after defeating US duo Coco Gauff and Catherine McNally at the 2021 US Open. Photo: AFP

Former China No 1 Wang Qiang drops out of WTA Top 100, Wang Xinyu hits career high

China's Wang Qiang serves the ball to Taiwan's Su-Wei Hsieh during their women's singles first round tennis match at the Roland Garros 2021 French Open in June. Photo: AFP

Zheng Saisai and Wang Xinyu beat China No 1 Zhang Shuai to Courmayeur Ladies Open doubles title

Zheng Saisai of China reacts during her women’s singles first-round match against Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain at the 2021 French Open. Photo: Xinhua

WTA Finals: Zhang Shuai and Hsieh Su-wei secure invite to Guadalajara

Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan and Elise Mertens of Belgium lift the Indian Wells trophy after winning the women's doubles final at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open. Photo: AP

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 12: (L-R) Shuai Zhang of China and Samantha Stosur of Australia and celebrate with the championship trophy after defeating Coco Gauff of the United States and Catherine McNally of the United States during their Women's Doubles final match on Day Fourteen of the 2021 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 12, 2021 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Zhang Shuai and Eri Hozumi into WTA Tenerife Ladies Open doubles second round

Zhang Shuai of China volleys the ball during the second set of her quarter-final match against Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain at the 2021 Cleveland Championships. Photo: AFP

(210601) -- PARIS, June 1, 2021 (Xinhua) -- Zheng Saisai of China hits a return during the women's singles first round match against Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, May 31, 2021. (Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua)

Indian Wells: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens storm into doubles final, boost WTA Finals hopes

Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens, of Belgium wave to the crowd after defeating Japan’s Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara in their women’s doubles semi-final at the 2021 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. Photo: AP

Sport

China

Tennis


US Open champions also miss meeting Czech No 1 seeds Krejcikova and Siniakova but face tough test in Mexico showdown
Japanese second seeds Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara lead the challenge for veteran pair in group stage



US Open champions miss meetings with world’s top two doubles players and Czech No 1 seeds but face tough test in Mexico


WTA Finals