As the Porsche Race to Shenzhen enters its final week, Linz quarterfinalist Kiki Bertens still has ground to make up on Serena Williams to seal her spot at the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen in two weeks' time - but also faces a threat behind her from Belinda Bencic.
Neither Bertens' last-eight run last week, ended by eventual champion Coco Gauff, nor Bencic's first-round exit in Linz at the hands of Anna-Lena Friedsam aided either player in their quest to make the 2019 WTA Tour finale: Bertens remains in ninth place and Bencic in 10th, with Williams still occupying the eighth and final position in the field.
That means it will all come down to Moscow this week, where Bertens and Bencic are entered. Either would need a final to overtake Williams, while Bencic will also need to go one round further than Bertens to move past the Dutchwoman. In practice, with both players in the bottom half of the draw, only one can get ahead of Williams, with their projected semifinal potentially being decisive.
Meanwhile, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova captured their second title of the season over the weekend in Linz to secure their place in Shenzhen and jump to the No.6 spot on the Doubles Leaderboard.. Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Demi Schuurs, who hold the No.8 position, also confirmed their qualification to round out the doubles field in Shenzhen.
Here's how the Porsche Race to Shenzhen stacks up for the week of October 14:
