ZHUHAI, China - China’s No.1 player Peng Shuai is set to Shine in Zhuhai after the tournament awarded her a wildcard into the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, joining what promises to be star-studded field for the season-ending tennis showcase, which begins on October 31.
Read more: Zhuhai leaderboard update: Konta and Garcia's tug of war
“I’d like to thank the tournament for this opportunity,” Peng said. “It will be my first time competing in Zhuhai and I am really looking forward to playing at this great event.
“It is a great honour for me that I will be able to represent China at the tournament and play in front of the Chinese fans and I will give my best on court. I am motivated to do really well and I can’t wait to see you all in Zhuhai.”
A year ago Peng came to Zhuhai as a singles alternate, and 2017 will mark her first competitive outing.
Tournament Director Jose Miguel Garcia said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Peng Shuai for what will be her first time competing in singles at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai. She’s had a fantastic year and this is recognition of that. It will be great for the home crowd to have a local player to get behind and cheer.”
The latest updated Shine in Zhuhai Leaderboard features some of the biggest names in women’s tennis, all aiming to end their season on a high by qualifying for the year-end event. Peng’s wildcard means that there are now only 11 places left in the singles field.
Grand Slam champions Svetlana Kuznetsova, Sloane Stephens and Angelique Kerber are all in the running to compete in the coastal Chinese city. Johanna Konta currently heads the Zhuhai field, with Kristina Mladenovic, CoCo Vandeweghe, Anastasija Sevastova, Elena Vesnina, and Ashleigh Barty occupying the rest of the 11 available qualifying spots.
Here's how the Shine in Zhuhai Leaderboard stands as of October 9:
The singles line-up in Zhuhai will be finalized on 24th October when the last ball of the regular WTA season is struck, thus paving the way for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global and the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai season-ending showcases.
