Toyota Thailand Open presented by E@ 2019: Thursday's Order of Play and Match Points

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Zhang Shuai - Hua Hin 2019 - Toyota Thailand Open presented by E@

MATCH POINTS

No.5 seed Zhang Shuai defeated compatriot Wang Yafan 6-2, 6-4 in their only previous meeting, in the quarterfinals of the 2013 ITF W50 event in Sanya. Zhang holds an 8-1 record against fellow Chinese players in WTA main draws, with her first ever loss to a countrywoman coming to Zhu Lin in last year's Nanchang quarterfinals.

Former World No.60 Duan Yingying dropped out of the Top 200 this week for the first time since June 2014, but will immediately rebound back in after her run from qualifying here. Duan is 0-2 against Viktorija Golubic, having lost to the Swiss player in straight sets both in Shenzhen qualifying in 2013 and in the second round of last year's Indian Wells 125K. Golubic is aiming for her first WTA quarterfinal since Linz 2017, while Duan is seeking her first since Kuala Lumpur 2017.

Monica Niculescu will seek to back up her first-round upset of No.3 seed Hsieh Su-Wei against Magda Linette, whom the Romanian defeated 6-1, 6-0 in their sole previous encounter in Beijing qualifying in 2014.

Qualifier Jennifer Brady scored her second career Top 20 win over Caroline Garcia in the first round (following her upset of Elena Vesnina at the Australian Open in 2017). The American is bidding for her first WTA quarterfinal since Hong Kong 2017 (where she was a semifinalist); her opponent, Tamara Zidansek, is aiming for her second career quarterfinal following her run to last year's Moscow River Cup semifinals.

ORDER OF PLAY (all courts start 3pm)

SCB CENTRE COURT
PENG Shuai (CHN) / YANG Zhaoxuan (CHN) [3] vs Luksika KUMKHUM (THA) / Cornelia LISTER (SWE)
Not before 5pm
WANG Yafan (CHN) vs ZHANG Shuai (CHN) [5]
Monica NICULESCU (ROU) vs Magda LINETTE (POL)
Tamara ZIDANSEK (SLO) vs [Q] Jennifer BRADY (USA)

COURT 2
DUAN Yingying (CHN) vs Viktorija GOLUBIC (SUI)
Mona BARTHEL (GER) / Sara SORRIBES TORMO (ESP) vs Kaitlyn CHRISTIAN (USA) / DUAN Yingying (CHN) [4]
Anna BLINKOVA (RUS) / WANG Yafan (CHN) vs Oksana KALASHNIKOVA (GEO) / Danka KOVINIC (MNE)

Alex Macpherson