Singapore Scenarios: Who can claim the final six qualifying spots in Beijing?
BEIJING, China - As the tour turns to the final Premier Mandatory event of the season at next week's China Open, six qualifying spots remain for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. No.1 Simona Halep and Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber locked up their Singapore spots over the summer.
As of the start of the China Open, 18 women have a mathematical possibility of qualifying for the tour's season-ending championships, which will be staged for the final year in Singapore before moving next year to Shenzhen, China.
While the qualifying picture remains incredibly fluid, with the qualifying point cut-off lowering as early results come in and players are eliminated from contention, six women have complete control of their destinies this week.
Regardless of any other results this week, US Open champion Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova can secure qualification by reaching the semifinals, Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki can clinch by reaching the final, and Elina Svitolina and Sloane Stephens by winning the title. Osaka and Stephens are looking to qualify for the first time.
The most compelling battle at the moment is for the No.6, No7, and No.8 qualifying spots. Karolina Pliskova, currently in the No.8 position, and Kiki Bertens (No.9) are separated by just 10 points heading into Beijing, and a deep run could see either of them (or both) overtake No.6 Svitolina or No.7 Stephens. Pliskova and Bertens, both of whom won titles a week ago in Tokyo and Seoul respectively, trail Svitolina by less than 240 points.
Serena Williams currently sits at No.11 on the Porsche Race to Singapore Leaderboard, however she has withdrawn from Beijing and is not currently on the entry list for any further tournaments in the regular season.
A chart of round-by-round point totals for the 18 contenders below. The chart will be updated at the conclusion of the Wuhan Open final to reflect adjusted point totals for the champion. Follow @WTA_insider on Twitter for the most current qualifications news as the China Open unfolds.
Qualification for the WTA Finals is based on a number of variables and only becomes official when the respective player has reached a point total that will assure a Top 8 finish. It is only at that point that the WTA will officially acknowledge a player’s qualification to the WTA Finals. Our projections team will closely monitor the daily results.
The WTA is now accepting applications for Media Accreditation for the 2018 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. Applications can be submitted here.
